Gerrit Rietveld 637 Curved Utrecht Sofa for Cassina, 1990s
View Similar Items
Gerrit Rietveld 637 Curved Utrecht Sofa for Cassina, 1990s
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Maker),Gerrit Rietveld (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Width: 80.32 in (204 cm)Depth: 40.16 in (102 cm)Seat Height: 14.18 in (36 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1990
- Condition:Reupholstered.
- Seller Location:amstelveen, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5790229475222
Gerrit Rietveld
Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.
Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.
Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.
Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.
Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- Utrecht “637” lounge chair in leopard velvet by Gerrit Rietveld for CassinaBy Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in amstelveen, NLLounge chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1935. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy, 1980s. Gerrit T. Rietveld came up with the design for the Utrecht armchair in 1935 while ...Category
Vintage 1980s European Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsVelvet
- Le Mura 4-Seater Sofa in beige/grey velvet by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in amstelveen, NLExceptional and rare 4-piece sectional Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy, 1970s. The sofa is reupholstered in a Dedar Milano cotton velvet fab...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
- Maralunga 3-seater in cream boucle by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970sBy Vico Magistretti, CassinaLocated in amstelveen, NLThis Maralunga sofa was designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina in 1973. This is an original version of the seventies. Reupholstered in a cream fluffy bouclé. With steel structure. ...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé
- Strips Sofa by Cini Boeri for Arflex, 1970sBy Cini Boeri, ArflexLocated in amstelveen, NLStrips sofa designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex in the late 1960s. One of the most famous products of Arflex. Designed in 1968, it was awarded the price Comp...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCotton, Linen, Polyester
- Oriolo 3-seater sofa by Claudio Salocchi for Sormani, 1960sBy Sormani, Claudio SalocchiLocated in amstelveen, NLThe Oriolo three-seater sofa was designed by Claudio Salocchi and is an iconic piece of Italian design. Crafted in the 1960s by Sormani, this sofa stands out with its bold lines and ...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsChenille
- Strips Modular Sofa by Cini Boeri for Arflex, 1970sBy Cini Boeri, ArflexLocated in amstelveen, NLStrips sofa designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex in the late 1960s. One of the most famous products of Arflex. Designed in 1968, it was awarded the price Compasso d’Oro and it is displa...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCotton, Linen, Polyester
$12,367 Sale Price20% Off
- Italian modern Velvet sofa Utrecht by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina , 1990sBy Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in MIlano, ITItalian modern Velvet sofa mod. Utrecht by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina , 1990s fantastic three-seater sofa mod. Utrecht with curved seat and backrest, padded and upholstered ...Category
1990s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
- “Utrecht” chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1990s Italy.By Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in Landgraaf, NL“Utrecht” chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1990s Italy. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888 – 1964) was a Dutch architect and furniture designer. Also a member of De Stijl from 1918. D...Category
1990s Italian De Stijl Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWool
- Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Sofa for Cassina in red, green or blueBy Gerrit Rietveld, CassinaLocated in Berlin, DESofa designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1935. Relaunched in 1988. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The price given applies to the sofa as shown in the first picture. Please ask f...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- 1990s Cassina “Utrecht” Chairs by Gerrit Rietveld, a PairBy Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in Roanoke, VAFantastic pair of modernist lounge chairs, model 637 Utrecht by the designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina from the 1990s. Fabric is a cool silvery blue. Check out the incredibl...Category
1990s Italian Modern Chairs
MaterialsVelvet
- Jacquard “Utrecht” chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1990s Italy.By Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in Landgraaf, NL“Utrecht” chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1990s Italy. Also known as the 637 chair. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888 – 1964) was a Dutch architect and furniture designer. Also a me...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsJacquard
- Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Sofa by CassinaBy Cassina, Gerrit RietveldLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaSofa designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1935. Relaunched in 1988. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Gerrit Rietveld came up with the design ...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
$18,220 / item
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.