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Vitra Furniture

Swiss

Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.

Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.

In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.

When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.

In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.

Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.

In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.

Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Period: 1930s
Creator: Vitra
Jean Prouvé Compass Direction Desk Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by Vitra
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Dronten, NL
Jean Prouvé Compass direction desk in natural oak and clear lacquered steel for Vitra. Originally designed in 1953, Prouvé's iconic desk is based the de...
Category

1930s French Industrial Vintage Vitra Furniture

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Vitra furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Vitra furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Vitra furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 122 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 17 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Vitra were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Ernst Moeckl, Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius, and Eileen Gray. Prices for Vitra furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $218 and can go as high as $55,892, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,218.
Questions About Vitra Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Vitra is a furniture design company that was founded in 1950 by Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. Today, Vitra products are designed in collaboration with independent designers, architects and graphic artists and manufactured by the company. Shop a collection of Vitra furniture from top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    In Vitra's collection of home furnishings, RAR means the rocking armchair rod base. It refers to wooden rocker arms with angled metal rod legs. Vitra adds them to a number of plastic chairs originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames to create rocking chairs. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Eames furniture.

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