In contrast with what happened in general to almost all the Modernista furniture which ended up going out of fashion, furniture designed by Gaudí is still as modern today as it was when it was first designed. Perhaps this is because it is more reminiscent of sculpture than mere benches and chairs. The Calvet armchair is outstanding amongst these designs because of its expressive force. It was designed along with four other pieces –a stool, a mirror, a chair and a bench– for the house of the same name.
Varnished or gold leaf mirror. In contrast with what happened in general to almost all the Modernista furniture which ended up going out of fashion, furniture designed by Gaudí is still as modern today as it was when it was first designed. Perhaps this is because it is more reminiscent of sculpture than mere benches and chairs. The Calvet armchair is outstanding amongst these designs because of its expressive force. It was designed along with four other pieces –a stool, a mirror, a chair and a bench– for the house of the same name. A company that has always attributed such great importance to the author of the designs could never forget the great figures in history. That is why the Bd catalogue of contemporary creations has always included those by admired classical masters. Antoni Gaudí (1852/1926) is, without doubt, the most internationally well-known Spanish architect. But is not only his buildings and brilliant architectural solutions that have travelled the globe. His integrated conception of architecture led him to pay attention, not only to structural calculations, but also to all the decorative elements, including furniture, that would form part of the building. The admiration felt by modern designers for the furniture designed by Gaudí has not gone unnoticed by Bd which was the first company to rescue them from history by embarking on their serial production using traditional art and craft techniques and the same materials –varnished solid oak– in order to reproduce all the rich detail displayed by the originals when they were first produced.
Spain
