June 3–September 24, 2017
Together! The New Architecture of the Collective
Museum
Until September 10, 2017
Housing is scarce—that has become evident in the last few years. As real estate prices in big cities skyrocket, conventional ideas of housing development prove unable to meet demands. The reaction to these challenges has been a silent revolution in contemporary architecture: towards collective building and living. Using models, films, and walk-in displays, the exhibition addresses this global phenomenon by presenting an array of collective building and living projects from Europe, Asia, and the United States. An overview of historical precedents for the current wave of collectives demonstrates that the idea of collectivity has been a recurring theme in the history of architecture, from the reformist ideas of the 19th century to the hippies and squatters of the 20th who touted the slogan “Make love, not lofts.”
Monobloc. A Chair for the World
Schaudepot
Until July 9, 2017
The white plastic chair is the most widely used piece of furniture in the world. As the quintessential example of a mass consumer product, the Monobloc chair can be found wherever there is a need for cheap seating—be it in European gardens, African cafés or Asian restaurants. The exhibition tells the story of this ubiquitous and little researched everyday item. Based on 20 objects, the show examines the history and the cultural connotations of a chair that has put its mark upon the world.
Mudun مدن Urban Cultures in Transit
Gallery
Until August 20, 2017
Ankara, Baghdad, Tehran and Tangier are vibrant metropolises of the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). They pulsate with an innovative cultural life—despite the political headlines. The exhibition views these cities from a micro-perspective, examining their architecture, urban neighbourhoods and the protagonists who shape them. Featuring contemporary photographs, models and texts, the show conveys the dynamic atmosphere of individual locales and the relationship of inhabitants to their spatial surroundings. The project is a cooperation between the Vitra Design Museum and the publishers of Dubai-based magazine Brownbook.
The Collection – 1800 to the present
Schaudepot
Permanent exhibition
The Vitra Design Museum’s collection ranks among the most important holdings of furniture design worldwide. It contains some 7000 pieces of furniture, more than a thousand lighting objects and numerous archives, as well as the estates of such designers as Charles & Ray Eames, Verner Panton and Alexander Girard. A selection is on view in the Schaudepot, designed by Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron. The centrepiece of the Schaudepot is a permanent exhibition of more than 400 key pieces of modern furniture design from 1800 to the present.
Elytra Filament Pavilion
Campus
Until September 10, 2017
The Pavilion is an impressive example of the growing influence of robotics on architecture. The individual modules were defined by an algorithm and produced with the help of an industrial robot, realised by a team from the University of Stuttgart.
Ettore Sottsass. Rebel and Poet
Schaudepot
Opening: July 7, 2017, 6pm
This year he would have celebrated his 100th birthday: the Italian designer Ettore Sottsass was one of the most influential yet unconventional personalities in 20th-century design. He gained renown with products such as the legendary “Valentine” typewriter for Olivetti, and as head of the creative collective Memphis, whose work revolutionized the realm of design in the 1980s. This exhibition highlights the multifaceted talents and activities of a great designer who did not view form and function as constraints, but rather as an opportunity to pose existential questions and explore the fundamental nature of human existence.
Preview
An Eames Celebration
September 30, 2017–February 25, 2018
The celebration will present a series of exhibitions and events. It will be the largest exploration of the Eames’s work ever shown in a museum, coinciding with Charles Eames’ 110th birthday.
Press contact: Iris Mickein / communications [at] design-museum.de / T +49 7621 702 3153
Press material: www.design-museum.de/press_images
