Resources
The architect Frank Gehry is known for his use of unusual materials.
Gehry is known for his use of unusual materials. With his furniture series Easy Edges, he succeeded in bringing a new aesthetic dimension to such an everyday material as cardboard. The sculptural form of the Wiggle Side Chair makes it stand out. Although surprisingly simple in appearance, it is constructed with the consummate skill of an architect, making it not only very comfortable but also durable and robust.
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION Corrugated cardboard, edges made of natural-look hardboard.
Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry, born 1929 in Toronto, Canada, earned a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California before studying urban planning at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.
In 1962 he founded the architectural firm Frank Gehry & Associates in Los Angeles. He designed the cardboard furniture series Easy Edges between 1969-72. Over the years he has taught at several universities, including Harvard and Yale, where he served as Charlotte-Davenport-Professorship of Architecture (1982, 1985, 1987-89) and where he still teaches.
Gehry has received numerous honorary doctorates from institutions including the University of Toronto, the University of Southern California, Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Edinburgh.
Projects for Vitra:
1994 Vitra Center (Vitra's Headquarters), Birsfelden near Basel
1989 Vitra Design Museum and manufacturing facility, Gehry’s first buildings in Europe, Vitra Campus, Weil am Rhein
Swiss manufacturer Vitra’s collections of furniture and lighting bring together the colour, culture and sophistication of the world’s most prominent designers.