vitra | george nelson sunflower clock | birch
vitra | george nelson sunflower clock | birch
Dimensions: diameter 76cm
Material: birch
With his collection of Wall Clocks, George Nelson conceived a wide array of timepieces, many of which have since become icons of 1950s design.
In 1947, the American designer George Nelson was commissioned to create a collection of clocks. Nelson analysed how people used clocks and concluded that they read the time by discerning the relative position of the hands, which made the use of numbers unnecessary. Furthermore, since most people wore wristwatches, he assumed that clocks had become more of a decorative element for interiors.
These ideas provided the basis for the first collection of 14 timepieces, consisting of a completely new style of wall clocks and compact table clocks, which were launched on the market in 1949. Although the models all shared one common feature – the absence of numbers – the diversity of their shapes, colours, materials and designs could hardly have been greater.
High-quality quartz clock movement, 1.5 volt battery included.
Click for more ideas from BRAND | Vitra
Vitra is a Swiss company dedicated to improving the quality of homes, offices and public spaces through the power of design.
Their products and concepts are developed in an intensive design process, which brings together their engineering excellence with the creative genius of leading international designers. It is their goal to create interiors, furniture and accessories that are functional and inspiring. Longevity of materials, construction and aesthetics is their leading principle, as demonstrated by their Classics – many in continuous production since the 1950s, and collectables in their own right.
Initiatives like the Vitra Campus architecture, the Vitra Design Museum, workshops, publications, collections and archives are all integral elements of Vitra. They give them the opportunity to gain perspective and depth in all their activities.
Click for more ideas from George Nelson (designer)George Nelson is regarded as one of the most important figures in American design. Active as an architect, a product and exhibition designer and a writer, he was a leading voice in the discourse on design and architecture over several decades. Vitra is the sole authorised manufacturer of specified Nelson products for markets in Europe and the Middle East.
George Nelson, born 1908 in Hartford, Connecticut (USA), studied architecture at Yale University. A fellowship enabled him to study at the American Academy in Rome from 1932 to 1934. In Europe, he became acquainted with the major architectural works and leading protagonists of modernism.
In 1935, Nelson joined the editorial staff of the 'Architectural Forum', where he was employed until 1944. A programmatic article on residential building and furniture design, published by Nelson in a 1944 issue of the journal, attracted the attention of D.J. DePree, head of the furniture company Herman Miller, Inc. A short time later, George Nelson took on the position of Design Director at Herman Miller. Remaining there until 1972, he became a key figure of American design; in addition to creating furnishings for the home and office, Nelson also convinced the likes of Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard to work for Herman Miller.
In 1957, Vitra founder Willi Fehlbaum signed his first licence agreement with Herman Miller to produce furniture for the European market. During the ensuing decades of the collaboration with Vitra, a close friendship evolved between George Nelson and Rolf Fehlbaum, who later said about Nelson: 'No other prominent designer spoke as intelligently or wrote as coherently about design'. Nelson expressed his thoughts on design topics in numerous articles and eleven books; his seminal treatise 'How to See' was recently reissued in a new edition by Phaidon.
‘The objective should be to keep improving one’s basic product.’ - George Nelson
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