Chair
ca. 1955 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This chair was designed for the Sumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya City, Japan, by one of the most important architects of the 20th century, Kenzo Tange (1913-2005). The building was designed in 1955 and completed in 1957 and was one of a number of Tange’s buildings for which furniture was specifically designed. It was built as headquarters of the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company – a local textiles manufacturer. It was intended to be used as both a head office for the company, and as a meeting place for textile manufacturers from across Japan.
This chair was designed for the Hall’s auditorium and manufactured by the Japanese company Tendo Mokko. The stackable plywood design allowed the chairs to be moved around or stored, depending on how the space was being used. A moulded plywood armchair was also designed for the building’s offices, and a plywood stool to be used in the cafeteria.
This chair was designed for the Hall’s auditorium and manufactured by the Japanese company Tendo Mokko. The stackable plywood design allowed the chairs to be moved around or stored, depending on how the space was being used. A moulded plywood armchair was also designed for the building’s offices, and a plywood stool to be used in the cafeteria.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded 11-ply birch plywood, metal screws, aluminium feet, seat cushion |
| Brief description | Chair, designed for Kenzō Tange’s Sumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya City, Japan, manufactured by Tendo Mokko, moulded birch plywood with aluminium feet and seat cushion, Tendo, Japan, about 1955 |
| Physical description | Chair of moulded 11-ply birch plywood with aluminium feet and yellow and black seat cushion. The chair is made of two separate moulded plywood sections; one section forming the back and the other the seat and legs. The back is attached to the underside of the chair by four metal screws. There are two holes in the seat that are used to tie the seat cushion to the chair. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | small batch |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Manufacturer's metal label screwed to underside of chair) |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Although this chair has been sold in the past as designed by Tange himself, that now seems unlikely. In the 1950s Tange’s practice often worked in close collaboration with furniture designers and artists to design the interiors of his buildings. More research is underway to establish exactly how the Sumi furniture was commissioned, but it would have been standard practice at the time to identify the furniture’s design with the building’s architect. |
| Association | |
| Summary | This chair was designed for the Sumi Memorial Hall, Ichinomiya City, Japan, by one of the most important architects of the 20th century, Kenzo Tange (1913-2005). The building was designed in 1955 and completed in 1957 and was one of a number of Tange’s buildings for which furniture was specifically designed. It was built as headquarters of the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company – a local textiles manufacturer. It was intended to be used as both a head office for the company, and as a meeting place for textile manufacturers from across Japan. This chair was designed for the Hall’s auditorium and manufactured by the Japanese company Tendo Mokko. The stackable plywood design allowed the chairs to be moved around or stored, depending on how the space was being used. A moulded plywood armchair was also designed for the building’s offices, and a plywood stool to be used in the cafeteria. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilk, Christopher. Plywood: A Material Story. London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.25-2016 |
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| Record created | June 14, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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