Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair in Cardboard by Vitra
View Similar Items
Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair in Cardboard by Vitra
About the Item
- Creator:Frank Gehry (Designer),Vitra (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 13.78 in (35 cm)Depth: 24.02 in (61 cm)Seat Height: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Contemporary
- Production Type:New & Custom(Current Production)
- Estimated Production Time:8-9 weeks
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Barcelona, ES
- Reference Number:Seller: VI.WIGGLE.CHAIR.D1stDibs: LU1427223556232
Frank Gehry
With magnificent buildings such as the Guggenheim Bilbao, Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the new Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Frank Gehry has changed the nature and spirit of contemporary architecture. Yet the world’s best-known living architect has also enjoyed a prolific career as a designer of artful and functional objects, ranging from furniture to jewelry, that even at smaller scale are as lively and captivating as his architectural designs.
Gehry was born in Toronto and moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1947. He received a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954 and — after several years of casting about that included a stint in the U.S. Army and studies at Harvard — Gehry opened his architectural practice in L.A. in 1962.
Idiosyncratic renovations to his small, traditional house in Santa Monica — such as cladding portions of the exterior in chain-link fencing and corrugated metal — drew attention to Gehry in architectural circles. Corporate and institutional commissions added to his reputation, culminating in the global acclaim that greeted the opening of the Guggenheim Bilbao in 1997. But the combination of visual dynamism and structural integrity expressed by that building had been evident for decades in Gehry’s designs. In 1972 he introduced a much-admired line of furniture he called Easy Edges. The curves and flowing lines of the pieces, which include the Wiggle chair, seem antithetical to the material are made from: cardboard — a presumably flimsy material that, when stacked, laminated and folded, is actually extraordinarily sturdy.
Many of Gehry’s designs feature an abstracted fish motif. For the architect, it is a symbol of vitality, strength and flexibility. The fish appears in a group of 1982 plastic lamps created for Formica (and exhibited by the Jewish Museum in New York in 2010). Gehry used the motif in crystal goblets for Swid Powell (1990), his Pito kettle for Alessi (1992) and as earrings for a 2006 jewelry collection for Tiffany that also includes torqued rings, necklaces and bangles.
Gehry returned to furniture design in 1992 with a remarkably energetic line of furniture for Knoll with frames and seating made of bent, lightweight wooden strops. (The pieces' names, such as Power Play and Cross Check, derive from ice hockey.) In 2004, Heller released a group of twisted, faceted furnishings in molded polyethylene meant to evoke Gehry’s architecture. But — whether its tableware, jewelry or furniture — all Gehry’s designs do that--sharing an animated aesthetic built on a solid foundational core. To possess a piece of Gehry design is to own one of his buildings, in miniature.
Find vintage Frank Gehry chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Vitra
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.
- Pair of Chairs in the Style of Thonet by Codina, circa 1930By Thonet, CodinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaPair of chairs in the style of Thonet by Codina, circa 1930 Manufactured in Spain. Dark bentwood. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preser...Category
Vintage 1930s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Pair of Chairs in the Style of Thonet by Unknown Designer, circa 1930By ThonetLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaPair of chairs in the style of Thonet by Unknown designer, circa 1930 Manufactured in France. Bentwood and rattan. In original condition, with wear consistent with age and use,...Category
Vintage 1930s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Set of 8 Black Gaulino Chairs Chair by Oscar TusquetsBy BD Barcelona Design, Oscar Tusquets BlancaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaSet of eight Gaulino chairs designed by Oscar Tusquets manufactured by BD Barcelona Design, circa 2010. Gaulino chair which, designed in 1987, was selected for the Industrial Desi...Category
2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsAsh
- Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' by KarakterBy Joe ColomboLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaChair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Uphol...Category
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
$3,155 / item - Pierre Jeanneret Commitee Chair by CassinaBy Pierre Jeanneret, CassinaLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaCommittee Chair designed by Pierre Jeanneret circa 1950 , relaunched in 2022. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The Committee Chair is introduced in the original version and in a fr...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
$5,787 / item - Jasper Morrison Sofa and Otomman Soft Modular Sofa by VitraBy Vitra, Jasper MorrisonLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaSofa designed by Jasper Morrison in 2016. Manufactured by Vitra, Switzerland. In good condition, with signs of age and use. The soft modular so...Category
2010s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood, Fabric, Foam
- Frank Gehry 'Little Beaver' Cardboard Chair and Ottoman for Vitra, 1987 USABy Frank Gehry, VitraLocated in Los Angeles, CAExtremely rare 'Little Beaver' chair designed by Frank Gehry, produced by Vitra in 1987. Comes with matching ottoman. Vitra plaques on underside of both ...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMasonite, Paper
- Vitra Frank Gehry "Easy Edges" Side Chair, 1970sBy Frank Gehry, VitraLocated in Los Angeles, CARare experimental corrugated cardboard side chair from the "Easy Edges" series, designed by Frank Gehry for Vitra, c. 1970s. This version is no longer in production. Gehry's experi...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMasonite, Paper
- Mid Century Modern Vintage Cardboard Wiggle Side Chair by Frank O. Gehry, 1972By Frank GehryLocated in Vienna, ATA mid century modern vintage cardboard wiggle chair, which is a great design side chair by Frank O. Gehry, 1972 for Jack Brogan, USA 1972-1973. Reissued by Vitra from 1992 as Wiggle side chair...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPaper
- Frank Gehry little Beaver Chair + Ottoman by VITRABy Frank Gehry, VitraLocated in Untersiggenthal, AGLaminated and cut cardboard designed chair and ottoman designed by noted architect Frank O. Gehry and manufactured by VITRA- Edition of 100 Pieces. Both pieces has a brass signature...Category
Vintage 1980s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPaper
- Frank Gehry Attributed Vintage Curved Cardboard Side Chair or Chair, 1970sBy Frank GehryLocated in Vienna, ATA Frank Gehry attributed curved and corrugated cardboard side chair or chair, which was designed 1970s and executed 1980s. The surface is in very good vintage condition and shows sig...Category
Late 20th Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsPaper
- Frank Gehry Wiggle StoolBy Frank GehryLocated in Dronten, NLFrank Gehry Wiggle stool. Made of corrugated cardboard and hardboard to the edges. Labeled underneath, excellent condition. Frank Gehry is considered one of the most influential arc...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsOther
$1,850
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
These New York Architects Love a Complicated Project
From Brooklyn townhouses to Maine campgrounds, Trattie Davies and Jonathan Toews relish a challenge, like transforming a former warehouse space into the new 1stdibs Gallery.
These Surreal and Sustainable Lamb Tables Are Based on a 1942 Dalí Painting
The artist envisioned them as part of a hay-strewn library.