Charles and Ray Eamessynonymous with the growing field of ergonomics, Herman Miller’s Eames Lounge is an iconic example of what can happen when innovative design meets thoughtful craftsmanship. The Eameses were very interested in material experimentation, using traditionally industrial components to create a fully integrated project: theThe Eames Pavilion Systempremiered at the Triennale Milano. He lived through the cooperation ofEames OfficeagainKettaleach part is colorful, unique, and most importantly, human.
The facade is designed for the natural flow of life – the windows are wide open to freshen the air inside, and the colored panels are available in custom configurations, equipped for privacy or public view. Yes, these are containers: containers for life, one can place them as blocks, however much we wish.
For the Eamses, the house became a design problem first. The combination of architecture, Charles’ background, and the artist’s eye from Ray made for a great understanding of human nature, which they then translated into the built environment. “In the almost 40 years I have been the Director of the Eames Office, I have often been asked if I could buy a reproduction of the Eames House. One-to-one replication would be interesting, but we always expected something else – a true system approach that was also international in its solution. The new system develops Eames buildings from prototype to full product. Eames houses – many of them not built – were always they are milestones and examples of such evolution clearly show that even when it was built for a specific area, the intention was to produce a series of human settlements,” said Eames Demetrios, Director, Eames Office, and grandson of Charles and Ray Eame.
Balance and symmetry dominate the form, an extension of their progressive design philosophy. Not content with creating something for beauty’s sake, each part of the house reflected a deep understanding of human movement, movement, and nature: the gathering around the kitchen counter, the pile of shoes in the hallway. Yes, values vary across cultures, yet there are certain things we continue to hold true, for ourselves and others. This is what the Eameses were really interested in, and it shows.
The light explosion of blue and yellow between the black and gray industrial Eames signatures, creates personality and brings Ray’s understanding as an artist to the view. Industrial details and cold steel soften within the family sensibility and connection, solving the mind which is a talent in itself.
To learn more about the Eames Pavilion System, visit kettal.com.
Photo by Yosigo, Rocafort, courtesy of Kettal.
