#adolfloos

[normally0]

Political Scandals and Iconic Chairs: The Legacy of Christine Keeler, Arne Jacobsen, and Adolf Loos

In the tumultuous 1960s, a single photograph encapsulated a political scandal and immortalized a timeless piece of furniture. Christine Keeler's provocative pose on a modern plywood chair in 1963 symbolized more than just scandal; it became a cultural icon, thanks to Lewis Morley's lens. The chair she sat on, the Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chair by Arne Jacobsen, had already achieved fame for its elegant design since its creation in 1955.

However, the scandal surrounding Keeler and British politician John Profumo elevated the Series 7 Chair to new heights of notoriety. Meanwhile, the Thonet bentwood chairs, pioneered by Michael Thonet in the 1850s, had their own rich history. Thonet's Model 14, known as the 'chair of chairs,' revolutionized furniture design with its innovative bentwood technique.

Adolf Loos, a prominent architect and design theorist, played a pivotal role in shaping modern design aesthetics. Loos advocated for simplicity and functionality in design, famously stating that ornamentation was a crime. His endorsement of the Thonet bentwood chair as the epitome of modern living further solidified its status in design history.

Contrasting the sleek modernity of the Series 7 with the timeless elegance of the Thonet bentwood chairs, enriched by Loos's endorsement, reveals a fascinating intersection of design, politics, and scandal. Both chairs, though created in different eras, became instruments intertwined with political intrigue and societal scandals.

Imagine the Keeler chair, once a symbol of scandal, now hung on the back of a Thonet chair, representing the end of an era of allure in high society. This juxtaposition highlights the enduring legacy of both scandals and chairs, shaping cultural narratives and design history alike.

[stillucestore]

"…Una delle sfide di quest'anno è stata la progettazione di questa lampada da tavolo a batteria, ispirata alle iconiche lampade da tavolo di Adolf Loos. Volevamo un look non troppo tecnico ma piuttosto elegante e senza tempo. Gli elementi tecnici (le batterie per esempio) sono stati incorporati in modo da diventare parte integrante del design della lampada… Il nome Gustave é un omaggio al capolavoro di Wes Anderson, Grand Budapest Hotel, dove Monsier Gustave H. era il famoso consierge…" Vincent Van Duysen.

Gustave emette un fascio di luce estremamente luminoso che cade “obliquamente” dalla testa della lampada sulla superficie illuminata e si estende tutt'intorno con un effetto a 360 gradi, illuminando perfettamente un'ampia superficie che può estendersi fino a un metro. Grazie a un'ingegnosa combinazione di LED e una particolare lente, é capace di inviare il fascio luminoso in diagonale, ottimizzando così l'effetto e riducendo al minimo l'emissione (da cui deriva il consumo di energia).

Anche in questa nuova lampada, un aspetto importante é dedicato alla sostenibilità: ogni parte é assemblata nei suoi vari componenti senza l'uso di colle e può essere facilmente smontata per sostituire le singole parti e separare i vari materiali per il riciclo 🍀

Il Natale comincia dalla Luce.

[paradisebackyard]

#AdolfLoos https://www.instagram.com/p/CIA52u_snKu/?igshid=111bw2rqaxrov

[prideswim]

Spring vibes in Pride. #selflining #italianfabric #shapecontrol #australianmade #madetoorder #madeinnewcastle #newcastlensw #newcastleaustralia #australianmadefashion #luxury #luxuryswimwear #white #recyclednylon #recycledplastic #wastetowear #maillot #minimalism #adolfloos #modernism #modernistfashion #modernistswimsuit #lessismore #bodysuit #slowfashion (at Newcastle, New South Wales) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFyEijoDyzZ/?igshid=1lc4u5txamjzp

[theculturecreative]

Unfinished Business—Model of the unbuilt home designed by Adolf Loos for iconoclast Josephine Baker, 1927 • • • #ccclassics #adolfloos #josephinebaker #theculturecreative (at Paris, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CK5CufJsooW/?igshid=vgs0u7j9895s

[themodernvilla]

Modern Villa in Prague, Czech Republic, designed by architect Adolf Loos in 1929-1930.

[communedesign]

Neutra Place

“The future of architecture, as I have looked at it also in the past, will depend on a deepened knowledge of nature, and of man’s nature especially, however encroached on by his own patented artificialities. We must love and know him if we want to serve him”, Richard Neutra, Life and Shape, 1962.

I find myself there on a Sunday afternoon. “There” being the Reunion House, on Neutra Place, just above the Silver Lake Reservoir. Sitting on the edge of Boomerang chairs, we listen to the stories of a ninety-two-year-old Dion Neutra, son of the late Richard, and partner in his firm. The 2 o’clock sun is filtered by a canopy of trees. It meets us inside by way of sky lights dotting the ceiling and of impossibly long sliding glass doors. They span the length of the space and float us within that canopy. In this scene, it’s clear: the mission of Neutra’s design respects nature, tests boundaries and uses natural materials as its greatest advocate. Fitting as ever, this mission becomes the topic of research for the week.

Richard Neutra came to the US with the teachings of Adolf Loos as his architectural vernacular. He worked first with Frank Lloyd Wright before accepting a position with friend and colleague, Rudolf Schindler. This brought Neutra to Los Angeles and began the decades of influence he would have over the California modernist architecture and lifestyle.

As an architect, Neutra had a philosophy that revealed itself in his buildings. A tenant of his design was not just embracing the aesthetic of the site upon which he built, but truly believing firmly that it must be respected before anything else. Rather than leaning on embellishments and excess, he relied on the usage of practical materials like glass, wood and water to enhance one another and their surroundings. Mirrors reflect large areas so as to maximize the space perceived by the eye. Beams extend beyond walls and cut through glass to lengthen the line of sight beyond the walls. All of these elements reveal an incredibly thoughtful consideration of the way in which a site grows around a building as much as a building grows on a site. It comes from an understanding that we borrow these spaces from the earth, and it’s an ongoing relationship. It’s something to keep at the forefront of our minds as we move forward.  

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1958 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

VDL House by Richard Neutra, Julius Shulman, 1966 (https://www.neutra-vdl.org)

Drawing of Camel Table, Richard Neutra, Date Unknown

Camel Table, Richard Neutra, 1939, Wright Auctions

Camel Table, Richard Neutra, 1939, Wright Auctions

Drawing of Boomerang Chair

Boomerang Chair in Reunion House, Current residence of Dion Neutra

Huntington Beach Library, Richard Neutra, 1975

Huntington Beach Library, Richard Neutra, 1975

Huntington Beach Library, Richard Neutra, 1975

Huntington Beach Library, Richard Neutra, 1975

[efamalus]

Dnešní srdcovka 🤗. Foceni editoriálu československých návrhářů v překrásné prvorepublikové vile od Adolfa Loose se stalo nezapomenutelným zážitkem! . Focení pro magazín @prozenycz Styling: @sarkastursova_styleit.cz Vizáž: @jankaillustration Model: @katkakozlova ( @czechoslovak_models ) Foto: @efa_malus_foto Outfit: @ivanamentlova Naušnice a prsten: @nomio Lokace: @winternitzova_vila ❤️ #fashion #czechfashion #beauty #women #winternitzovavila #prozeny #adolfloos #ilovemywork #photography (v místě Winternitzova vila) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByC5Iivi1ae/?igshid=tothy5aubm86

[atlasofcuriosity]

View this post on Instagram

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[paintedwater]

Woinovichgasse, Werkbund Estate, Vienna. Designed by Adolf Loos.

Image by Paul Bauer

[normally0]

In the late 1980s, Alexander House was built on Merton Road, SW18, by Stanton Williams. Its black and beige striped façade, reminiscent of Adolf Loos' unbuilt house for Josephine Baker, stands as a quiet nod to Modernist architecture. Loos, a pioneering Modernist, designed Baker's house in 1927 with black and white marble, symbolizing her identity and the racial dynamics of the time. The house, centered around a voyeuristic swimming pool, was meant to be both a sanctuary and a stage for Baker.

Alexander House, now a health center, echoes Loos' vision but lacks the cultural significance of the original design. The building's aesthetic nod to Loos' work seems diluted, with little acknowledgment of its rich historical reference. This omission speaks to a broader issue in architecture: the tendency to obscure the complex, controversial aspects of history.

In the context of Black Lives Matter, there's an opportunity to reassess how we honor and represent our cultural and architectural heritage. Loos' design for Baker was about more than form—it was about race, identity, and visibility. By acknowledging the origins of the ideas behind Alexander House, we can engage in a more honest dialogue about architecture and its cultural significance.

If Loos and Baker visited Alexander House today, they might appreciate the homage but lament the lack of context. For Stanton Williams, reclaiming this narrative could transform Alexander House from a mere echo of Modernism into a meaningful part of the conversation about architecture, identity, and history.

#Architecture #Modernism #CulturalHeritage #BlackLivesMatter #DesignHistory #AdolfLoos #JosephineBaker #StantonWilliams

[dcontrog]

Echoes / Vll Mllr

[paradisebackyard]

#AdolfLoos https://www.instagram.com/p/CEySMUHi1FN/?igshid=7capcuu6x5j7

[archtechposts]

Post Modernism in its prime!

House Josephine Baker, Paris XVI, Avenue Bugeaud, France

Designer

Adolf Loos (Brünn 1870 - 1933 Vienna)

1927

Albertina

[giannipuri]

OMG! New limited edition bookmarks Handmade, with love ♡ #bookmark #god #gods #omg! #omg #egypt #egyptian #wood #crafts #illustration #children #toys #handmade #colours #instalove #instagood #love #library #childrenbook #adolfloos #superstudio #brunomunari #aldorossi #archilovers https://www.instagram.com/p/BobN4zpB1pK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18b49cfk4aeo8

[iwannabeapony]

Alfred Loos American Bar - designed with the finest materials, this little bar is surrounded by mirrors to suggest space. And the bartender serves the best cocktails 🍸 • • • • • • • • #adolfloos #americanbar #architecture #modernism #criticism #cosy #cocktails #vienna #austria #travel (at Vienna, Austria)