Icons of modern design and architecture, the 20th century masters shaped history with their visionary approach. Revisit their major works, enduring legacy, and lasting influence on contemporary creation.
Arne Jacobsen: The History of Danish Design In the hushed lobby of Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel in 1960, a silent revolution takes place. Travelers discover for the first time furniture with unprecedented organic forms, sculpted like protective cocoons in the bustle of the modern world. These revolutionary creations bear the signature of Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971),…
Joe Colombo Design: Let’s get modular ! A true star designer of the 60s, Joseph “Joe” Colombo was one of the most innovative Italian designers of the 20th century. Despite a career cut short by his death at the age of 41, he left a profound imprint on the history of contemporary design. Through his…
Ingo Maurer (1932–2019) was a visionary German lighting designer often referred to as a poet of light. He transformed illumination into an art form, blending function, fantasy, and emotion in ways that redefined the role of lighting in interior and product design. His work goes far beyond conventional lighting, it tells stories, evokes wonder, and…
Madeleine Castaing (1894-1992) remains one of the most emblematic figures of 20th-century French decoration. This legendary decorator revolutionized the French art of living by developing an eclectic style of absolute sophistication, becoming the essential reference of Parisian elegance. An undisputed master of mixing eras and styles, she wielded infallible taste that transcended conventions. Her non-conformist…
Alvar Aalto: Nordic humanism in service of total design In the frozen landscape of 1920s Finland, a young architect sketched the outlines of a silent revolution. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) did not merely build: he rethought human habitat in its entirety, from the spoon to the city. Architect, urban planner, designer and even glassmaker, this Finnish…
For them, furniture should embrace the human body instead of constraining it. Their forms are fluid, rounded, inspired by nature, made possible by technical innovations in molded plywood, fiberglass and injection-molded plastic. This research fits perfectly within the logic of organic design, where industrial technology serves natural forms and universal comfort. Charles (1907–1978) and Ray…
Eero Saarinen: The Sculptor of American Modernity Eero Saarinen, an iconic designer and architect, is renowned for his organic designs, which seamlessly blend form and function. In the 1950s, as America discovered its triumphant industrial power, one man was sketching the future with the fluidity of a sculptural gesture. Eero Saarinen (1910–1961) embodied that generation…
