i
19
wardrobe
Willy Van Der Meeren (and Eric Lemesre) BE
Tubax BE
Circa 1955
wood, metal
collection Design Museum Gent
Wardrobe
Willy Van Der Meeren (1923-2002) designed this cupboard for Tubax, the Vilvoorde furniture company with which he had worked since 1951. Van Der Meeren’s furniture stood out because of its clear engineering, cheerful use of colours and inventive use of cheap materials and industrial construction techniques. That way, his designs responded to the ideals of ‘modern social furniture’ promoted within the post-war discussion on ‘good living’. In the original design, the cabinet has a wooden plinth or a curved metal frame that is compatible with other Van Der Meeren furniture. The vertical legs in this later version were most likely designed by Eric Lemesre. He also worked for Tubax and, with the organisation Formes Nouvelles, he too committed himself to modern and affordable Belgian design.
20
solo seat granito
Muller Van Severen BE
2012
lacquered steel, terrazzo, natural leather
collection Muller Van Severen
21
BB97
Maarten Van Severen BE
Vrijdaghs BE
1997 (this piece 2015)
polyurethane
collection Design Museum Gent