George Nelson (designer)

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George Nelson (born May 29, 1908 in Hartford , Connecticut , † March 5, 1986 in New York City ) was an American designer and architect .

George Nelson & Associates for Miller Furniture Company, desk n.4658, made in Zeeland, MI , 1946

Life

Nelson studied architecture at Yale University from 1924 to 1928. A scholarship took him to the American Academy in Rome from 1932 to 1934 . He drew attention to himself as associate editor, 1935–1943 and consultant editor, 1944–1949 of the journal Architectural Forum . In the following years Nelson became one of the most influential design theorists in the USA. He became design director for Herman Miller in 1946 , a position he held until 1972. He also founded an industrial design office with Gordon Chadwick in 1947 . George Nelson was able to bind Charles and Ray Eames to Herman Miller for a long time. The Eames achieved their greatest successes during Nelson's work at Miller. The designer Charles Pollock developed the Swag Leg Chair together with Nelson before working with Knoll International and Jerry Helling from Bernhardt Design from 1958 .

George Nelson's own designs were groundbreaking, particularly in the area of ​​office furniture. Today the Coconut Chair , the Marshmallow Sofa and the wall and table clocks are some of Nelson's most famous designs. He derived his creative freedom from the knowledge that human needs are diverse, often unpredictable and hardly quantifiable, but complex, subtle and mysterious. George Nelson has received numerous awards and honors.

Awards (selection)

  • Rome Prize for architecture, 1932
  • Best Office of the Year, New York Times, 1953
  • Gold Medal, Art Directors Club of New York , 1953
  • Good Design Award, Museum of Modern Art, 1954

Drafts (selection)

  • Action Office Desk (1964)
  • Sheet Ball Clock (around 1950)
  • Platform Bench (around 1950)
  • Marshmallow Sofa (1956, together with Irving Harper )
  • Modular sofa system (1956)

literature

  • Mitchell B. Rouda: Nelson, George. In: Muriel Emanuel (Ed.): Contemporary architects. Macmillan, London 1980

Web links