Forma stands at the forefront of a revival of Brazilian modern furniture. Fashioned from high-grade regionally sourced hardwoods, leather and iron, even Forma's earliest creations have stood the test of time. The company’s alluring mid-century modern works appealed to homeowners at its peak, from the 1950s through the ’70s, and given the broadening interest in Brazilian furniture and the likes of designers such as Sérgio Rodrigues, vintage Forma is making a major comeback today.
Forma began in São Paulo, under the leadership of Italian designer Carlo Hauner and Austrian architect and interior designer Martin Eisler. Hauner studied drawing and technical drawing at the Brera Academy in Milan. After participating in the Venice Biennale, he emigrated to São Paulo, where he established the furniture manufacturer Móveis Artesanal, for which Carlo and Martin — as well as Carlo’s brother Ernesto Hauner — would create a range of pieces for the home.
In 1936, Eisler earned a degree in architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he studied under Oskar Strnad and Clemens Holzmeister. With World War II looming, he left Austria immediately after graduating. He first went to Czechoslovakia, to which some of his family had already fled. In 1938, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and opened his interior design firm Interieur Forma.
Eisler relocated to Brazil in the early 1950s, where he met Hauner. At the time, Eisler had been looking for help producing furniture for his brother-in-law, Ernesto Wolf, and contacted Hauner. The two found that they had a shared vision, and with financial help from Wolf, they opened Galeria Artesanal as a storefront for Móveis Artesanal.
Looking to expand into international sales, the duo rebranded the company Forma. Sérgio Rodrigues, who helped launch a branch of Artesanal in Curitiba, was put in charge of interiors at Forma. That company soon became one of the biggest names in Brazilian furniture — it sold its own sculptural rattan lounge chairs, bookcases and other case pieces crafted with rosewood or jacaranda, and Forma was eventually distributing furniture licensed from iconic American manufacturer Knoll, thereby bringing works by noted designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Charles Eames and Harry Bertoia to the Brazilian market.
The Forma furniture company continued producing masterfully crafted furniture into the 1970s, until Eisler's death in 1977. Forma folded soon after, but Eisler's company in Argentina, Interieur Forma, is still in business today.
On 1stDibs, explore Forma seating, tables and storage pieces.
Mid-Century Modern Set of 5 High Stools, Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, c1954
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
This fabulous high stool was designed by Martin Eisler and manufactured by Forma S.A. Móveis e Objetos de Arte in circa 1955. The piece is composed of an iron structure with brass ti...
Iron
$3,600Sale Price / set|44% Off
H 18.9 in W 18.51 in D 12.6 in
Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler Pair of Stools
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Washington, DC
Beautiful and interesting pair of iron and cane stools by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler. Can also be used as side tables.
Metal
$28,291 / set
H 28.35 in W 30.32 in D 30.32 in
Martin Eisler & Carlos Hauner Pair of Modern Brazilian Armchairs wood and velvet
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlos Hauner (1927-1997) Pair of armchairs Manufactured by Forma Moveis Brazil, 1955 Caviuna wood legs, velvet and cotton upholstery Measurements: 77 cm x 77 cm x 72 H cm. 30.3 in x 30.3 in x 28.3 H in. Literature: Casa & Jardim, 1956. Nº 92 Details: Belonging to a three pieces set of sofa and two armchairs.
Upholstery, Wood
$20,982
H 66 in W 71 in D 102 in
Martin Eisler & Carlos Hauner Model "Reversible" modern Brazilian armchair 1955
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler(1913-1977) & Carlos Hauner (1927-1997) Armchair model “Reversible” Manufactured by Forma Moveis Brazil, 1955 Iron structure, brass, cotton upholstery Measurements: 10...
Iron
$7,500
H 29.5 in W 59.1 in D 33.5 in
Brazilian Modern Set of Four Chairs by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, c. 1960s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
Carlo Hauner, Brazil, c. 1960s. This quartet distills Hauner’s restraint and formal clarity into a compact dining type: pared proportions, a taut seat rail, and a rectilinear back th...
Fabric, Cane, Hardwood
$88,100
H 31.11 in W 28.75 in D 28.75 in
Rare 'Costela' Lounge Chairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, Brazil, 1954
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Antwerp, BE
These extraordinary lounge chairs represent an original and very rare piece of Brazilian design history. Designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner in 1954 for the renowned company F...
Steel
$4,000 / set
H 19 in W 17 in D 14 in
Pair of Caned Stools with Iron Frame, Carlo Hauner, Brazilian Modern, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Carlo Hauner in the 1950s and produced by Forma, this elegant pair of stools exemplifies the lightness and structural clarity that defined Brazilian modernism in the post...
Iron
Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler Concha Lounge Chair, Brazil, 1950
By Carlo Hauner, Martin Eisler
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning and comfortable ‘Concha’ (shell) lounge chair designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler and manufactured by Forma Moveis, Brazil 1950. This chair has a solid steel structur...
Metal
$9,442 / set
H 29.93 in W 29.93 in D 28.35 in
Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler pair of High Back Armchairs blue upholstery
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler Forma Pair of High Back Armchairs Wood, Upholstery 1955
Wood
$24,000
H 14.97 in W 122.05 in D 23.63 in
Mid-Century Modern Curved Bench by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler for Forma, 1960s
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern CurvedBench by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler for Forma, 1960s This curvaceous bench was done in a beautiful solid wood, and it has a natural finish that mainta...
Metal
Armchairs by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, Brazil 1950s.
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of armchairs designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, manufactured by Forma S/A in Brazil in the earlies 1950. The structure is made of solid painted steel. The characteristi...
Iron
$6,600 / item
H 27.96 in W 25.99 in D 31.89 in
'Concha' Lounge Chair, by Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner, Brazilian Mid-Century
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The "Concha" armchair, designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner, is a hallmark of mid-century Brazilian furniture design. This chair is recognized for its elegant and organic form, indicative of the innovative design spirit of the 1950s and 1960s. Martin Eisler (1913-1977) was an Austrian-born architect and designer who emigrated to Argentina and later worked in Brazil. Carlo Hauner (1927-1996), an Italian-born artist, designer, and entrepreneur, moved to Brazil after World War II. Together, they formed a partnership and played a significant role in the development of modern furniture design in Brazil, creating pieces that were both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Their work is characterized by the use of local materials, and the "Concha" armchair is no exception. It typically features a metal frame with slender, tapered legs that support a seat shell with a distinctive scoop-like shape, reminiscent of a seashell ("concha" means "shell" in Portuguese). The upholstery showcases the richness of Brazilian textiles...
Iron
$9,000
H 28.3 in W 19.7 in D 23.6 in
Brazilian Modern Chair in Cane & Iron by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in New York, NY
This Brazilian modern chair was designed by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler and is absolutely beautiful. The structure is made with an iron frame and the seat is made with cane. The leg...
Iron