We inaugurate this new section dedicated to recognising the figure of prestigious architects and designers with a couple who revolutionised the history of architecture and industrial design in the twentieth century. Charles and Ray Eames are the exponent of their own bold style. Almost a century later, they are still an example for furniture design and architecture: a whole lifestyle that we review today. Charles Eames (1907-1978) was born in the American city of St. Louis (Missouri) where he began his career in architecture, which he abandoned at the age of two. He continued to be linked to architecture working for a studio in charge of developing residential housing projects. Years later, in 1938, together with his wife and daughter, he moved to Michigan where he finished his studies. He became a teacher and headed the industrial design department. There he began to develop his new technique for wood modeling, which he later executed in the designs of his iconic chairs and furniture. In 1940 he met Ray Kaiser (1912-1988) in the classroom. She was his student. A year later, after divorcing his first wife, he married her and the story of the Eameses’ creative universe began.
The couple moved to Los Angeles and designed their own home, built with prefabricated pieces of steel and with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. Today it remains a masterpiece and a place of pilgrimage for lovers of modern architecture.
In this house they created their first workshop and from there came the first prototypes of plywood furniture, their plastic chairs, their mythical toys and they began their career of audiovisual productions, which accumulated more than 70 titles. Among his first pieces are the Plywood Chair (1946) or La Chaise (1948). It was then that he began his alliance with the Vitra company who, to this day, still markets his designs.
In the field of architecture and from 1949, they created two Case Study Houses, modern housing projects supported by the magazine Arts & Architecture. One of these houses was that of the architect John Entenza and the other the Eames House, the home that the couple shared until the end of their days. In it they embodied all their creative ideology: flat roofs, open plans and the use of cheap materials. The furniture was full of color and was a true reflection of his fun and transgressive way of life. In the 50s, the Wire chair, the Lounge, the different chairs made of plastic: DAX, DAW and DAR, as well as its famous office furniture, saw the light. Since then, the Eames firm has been a symbol of futuristic and avant-garde design that continues to inspire creators.
Their star technique, where they were pioneers, is wood modelling. They also stood out for the use of fiberglass and plastic resins to carry out their projects. His way of conceiving design combines modernity, industrialization and minimalism. It’s no wonder that their simple, adaptable designs have been and continue to be successful, as they are also a perfect fit for series production systems. The couple’s experimentation knew no bounds and it’s not hard to find snapshots of them always working smiling on their revolutionary designs. Images: Pinterest.
