We’re proud to announce that the Rapson Thirty-Nine Collection is a finalist in Interior Design magazine’s Best of the Year awards. Judging by the full list of finalists, these Ralph Rapson designs are in pretty good company. The collection comes to life almost 80 years after the pieces were originally sketched by a young student just starting out on a long career in design, architecture, and teaching.
The new Rapson Thirty-Nine Collection was born from a whole series of sketches that Ralph made during his studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Leland International, a proud Michigan company with many Cranbrook connections of its own, saw these striking, unrealized designs within Ralph Rapson's design library during an extensive design planning session in 2015. After a year of work between the teams at Leland and Rapson-Inc.'s owner (and Ralph's son) Toby Rapson, these simple and still-unique designs were launched at NeoCon in summer 2016. Those lucky enough to attend the launch party got to see a new video highlighting Ralph Rapson's career and knock back some period-appropriate cocktails to celebrate these pieces.
Back when he was studying at Cranbrook, Rapson often worked alongside innovators such as the Saarinens, Bertoia, and Eames. The Thirty-Nine Collection features the sleek and yet slightly playful modern lines that make many Rapson designs memorable.
Each piece is inscribed with Ralph’s signature as a stamp of authenticity. We are so thankful to the team at Leland International for their care in bringing Ralph’s sketches to life in this beautifully curated collection with a lounge chair, a guest chair, benches, and stools (and with more on the way—stay tuned).
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We love that Ralph drew this modern birdhouse so that it carries the signature rakish roofline of many of his best-known modern houses and churches. And, yes, it's a duplex, so just perfect for multigenerational housing. Add in the conscience-clearing construction in recycled materials and you might as well get a peck of these.
Teaser Alert:
We've been a bit quiet on the blog but aren't stopping our work to bring out more of the great designs that RR left behind. We won't go into details now, but it looks like a banner year for Rapson designs with more new pieces being introduced/re-introduced than at any time since the original Rapson Line debuted for H.G. Knoll in 1945. What's coming? More new outdoor pieces by Loll Designs and the beginnings of a whole new Rapson Line by another great Midwest furniture company...Can't wait to tell you more.
In the meantime, here are a few more shots of the Rapson Modern Birdhouse so you can get a feel for this up/down bird bungalow:
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Ralph Rapson was a man who loved a good party. And although he was not here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his September 13, 1914 birth, his friends, family, colleagues, and admirers found plenty of ways to recognize the big event with Rapsonian style and flair. On the eve of Ralph’s birthday, revelries kicked off at Rapson Hall at the University of Minnesota with a panoramic group photo of scores of mature and responsible adults wearing DIY paper Rapson mustaches.
As well as the party, a few smart people at RR's beloved University of Minnesota realized that Ralph’s centennial presented an opportunity to showcase his talents and accomplishments. Two Rapson exhibitions opened at the University in the early fall and will run through early 2015.
At Rapson Hall, Rapson at 100: Process | Themes | Variations takes a close look at Ralph’s creative thinking and use of drawing as a design tool through three projects, including his Glass Cube, the Rapson family retreat in rural Amery, Wisconsin. The energy and inventiveness of these drawings is something to behold.
A more extensive exhibition at the Andersen Library, Ralph Rapson: A Legacy in Architecture and Design draws from the Ralph Rapson Papers at the Northwest Architectural Archives to provide a broader view of his years in Minnesota beginning in 1954. (Materials from Rapson’s pre-1954 career are housed at the Cranbrook Archives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.) The breadth of this exhibit is amazing. We think RR would love this snapshot of his design career:
Among the original drawings included in the show are three of Rapson’s façade studies for the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre (1963) as well as many other striking renderings and models of his designs, both both built and unrealized. For anyone who's ever marveled at RR's design for St. Peter's Church, the drawings and model of the roof line are a real treat:
No Rapson exhibit would be complete without chairs (obviously). The Andersen Library exhibit features two: a Highback Rapson Greenbelt™ Rocker in walnut and black leather, and a red Rapson Cave Chair by Loll Designs:
So, Happy Birthday, Ralph. We tried to think of everything to make this the special celebration you deserve. The only thing that’s missing is you.
This blog was guest-written by Jane King Hession, one of Ralph's accomplished biographers as well as a true friend to Ralph Rapson, Rapson Architects, and Rapson-Inc.
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Not only were the resident eagles soaring close for a curious look, a passing thunderstorm layered in some serious sound effects sure to please. We hope the sound man found its rumbling as opportune as we did, as we thought they added wonderfully to Greycoat’s engaging style that City Pages writer Rob Van Alstyne said shows an “appetite for the unusual”.
Ralph Rapson would have been intrigued by the use of what he considered his place of retreat. For over 30 years he welcomed others to share in its beauty and experience the tangible influence the rolling hills and his “cube” within those hills impart on the consciousness. Adding in a little great music was a wonderful new twist. The fact that Greycoats are effectively the in-house band for high-energy Rapson retailer Forage Modern Workshop made the whole idea of the recorded jam session just too cool to pass up.
Lead singer Jon Reine appears contemplative and content while “taking five” in the Rapson Cave Chair by Loll Designs.
The Rapson family has a new-found appreciation for the amount of equipment necessary to record, film, light, and create beautiful music. In turn, I hope the crew is appreciative of the clapping (for the great music) and slapping (as a result of the mosquito invasion that took place after hauling in and out said equipment). I fondly remember Ralph harping—“quick, close the screen doors before the local population joins us”. Thanks, Greycoats (Jon, Titus, Mike, and Matt) for an interesting day, and of course, thanks to Ralph for providing a great hang-out.
Nate Matson and the Greycoats setting up.
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The exhibit, housed at the Ukrainian Institute for Modern Art, highlights the role of the New Bauhaus designers in Chicago in the late 1930s and 1940s, when Ralph Rapson was practicing in Chicago and teaching at the school.
We at Rapson-Inc. are hoping for a road trip in September to see it for ourselves, but here are a few pics of the exhibit in case you can't make it to Chicago:
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Now featuring Rapson Greenbelt® Line, Ralph Rapson is the latest Cranbrook Academy alumni whose designs are sold at Markanto. (In the 1940s-50s, the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan was known as the hotbed of American modernism. Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Ray and Charles Eames, and Florence Schust Knoll are a few of Rapson's best-known classmates and colleagues from his Cranbrook years.)
Sven Vorderstrase, the Markanto owner/manager, graciously took time for an interview with us just as Markanto's Rock It Baby exhibition in Cologne was in full swing:
The Markanto showroom is located in the South of the city, only 15 minutes away from Cologne Central Station.
Markanto Depot, Mainzer Strasse 26, 50678 Köln. Germany
Opening times: every Saturday from 11 am - 4 pm.
Are these not the most handsome outdoor chairs ever produced? I am still not certain how many recycled milk jugs it takes to make one chair, but I am certain that I love Loll and their vibrant seats!
YLiving Exculsive Rapson® Rapid Rocker Unison Print
The Hotel Astoria in Panton Geometri I
Iconic Panton 1950's-70's prints
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Tell me about Mid2Mod's beginnings. When and how did you get your start in the mid-century modern furniture retail business?
My wife Jennifer, my mother-in-law Dana, and I opened a mid-century booth at an antique mall in early 2010, which turned out to be a time-consuming hobby rather than a profitable business, so when our lease was up in November, we had a huge yard sale and got rid of our inventory. After three grueling days of selling, I looked at my pregnant wife and my exhausted mother-in-law and said, "Be honest. Aren't you going to miss selling mid-century furniture?" At first they thought I was joking, but that very night we started tossing around plans to have a store, and four months later, I quit my job as a data analyst and opened Mid2Mod. What started as a vintage store has grown to include exceptional new furniture too, such as the Rapson-Inc line. One of our goals is to help customers combine the two in their homes to create a unique personal space.
Deep Ellum sounds like a lively artistic neighborhood, and a perfect place to open Mid2Mod. What is it you like most about the area?
What I like most about Deep Ellum is its eclectic nature. There are all types of stores, restaurants and music venues here, and everyone is welcome. I also love the rich history of the neighborhood. It was established as an industrial district in the 1800s and was home to a cotton gin and a Ford automobile plant, but its real claim to fame is its importance as a jazz and blues scene in the 1920s, hosting the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly Ledbetter and Bessie Smith.
In your opinion, what is the most interesting mid-century piece to pass through Mid2Mod's doors?
My favorite piece was a George Nelson Comprehensive Storage System (CSS) wall unit, but Dana would probably say her favorite was an orange daybed by Richard Schultz for Knoll. She was trying to talk herself into buying it, but a customer got there first. She still grieves the loss.
Who is your favorite 20th century designer and why?
Naturally, Ralph Rapson is one of my favorites, which is why I decided to start carrying the line in my store. Another favorite is Poul Kjærholm. I love the simplicity of his design, and the matte finish he used on steel makes his pieces really stand out.
Finally, what do you like about the Rapson-Inc line?
Rapson had arrived early the summer of 1939, before classes started, so that he could get a work space close to Saarinen’s studio. "It was an enormous studio, with six or eight big tables. It was on the corner, and my windows looked right out over the next building. Twenty feet away was “Pappy” Saarinen’s studio, so every morning I could wave and pop over there and talk to him.” (King Hession, Rapson, & Wright, 13)
Saarinen was soon calling on Ralph Rapson to help with projects in his the office of his architecture firm as well. Saarinen was a well-respected architect and urban designer in Finland before moving to the US, and much praised for his ability to portray the Finnish national identity through a more modern, symbolic form
Though Rapson cherished his apprenticeship under Saarinen, he, like other students in the studio, regarded the elder Saarinen's designs as increasingly dated:
"...I really didn’t appreciate Pappy [Eliel Saarinen] at the time. We thought of him as not necessarily out of style but as a regional traditionalist. And because I was just beginning to discover Le Corbusier and others, I felt Pappy represented more of a Scandinavian arts and crafts approach to design. It wasn’t until years later that I, and others, recognized what he was truly contributing to the field of modern design. Perhaps the most important lesson he imparted was the careful, patient search – that to ignore the question of the style was the most sincere way of achieving an architecture of our time." (King Hession, Rapson, & Wright, 15)
Among other things, Rapson was known to instigate a game of touch football on warm autumn afternoons. (Yes, Ralph only had one arm, but he loved football.) Thinking of the work to be done, Eero neither condoned playing football nor understood Rapson’s motivation. When Eero confronted Rapson about it, Rapson just smiled and pointed out that football helped the architects to vent frustrations and return to their desks revived and ready to work.
Ralph Rapson running down sideline during touch football game at Cranbrook, 1939.[Cranbrook Historic Photograph Collection, #284]
Some time later, Rapson pushed his luck and half carried, half dragged Eero from his office to the field.
Before long, Eero had taken command of plays and made himself permanent quarterback for all future games.
Read the full story in: King Hession, J., Rapson, R., & Wright, B. N. (1999). Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design. Afton: Afton Historical Society Press.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
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The very hip Mod Livin' in Denver has recently signed on as a retailer of Rapson-Inc. designs. Mod Livin' was started by husband and wife team, Erick & Jill, with the intent to provide the Rocky Mountain area with a resource of modern design. Their selection ranges from things within reach to the college student to the high-end pieces that would appeal to the avid collector. I have such a fun time browsing their website, which sells all the classics and great new pieces by up-and-coming designers. Store Manager, Amanda Lezan, was kind enough to fill out a short Q & A with thoughtful replies that reflect the personable nature of their company. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with them!
1. I see you opened your doors in 2001. Congratulations on over 10 years in the business! What initially drove Erick & Jill to open Mod Livin'?
Jill first started out over 20 years ago entirely because she’s loved furniture and home design for as long as she can remember. The first iteration was with a small shop on the other side of Denver selling vintage exclusively, this seemed like a nice side project and a great excuse for both she & Erick to get out of town regularly on their scouting trips to & fro across the country. They were received amazingly well by Denver and saw the opportunity to parlay the small operation into something bigger. Not a pair to walk away from a good thing (it also helps that they are two of the hardest working people you will ever meet), they began the search for a bigger piece of real estate. Mod Livin’ opened its doors on East Colfax in 2001 with the ‘infant’ version (as Erick likes to call it) of the website first launching in 2002.
2. Mod Livin' has such a wonderful selection of home accessories. How do you keep up with all the new designers? Do you have your eye on anyone new to the scene?
Thank you! It can be tricky (which I realize is a lovely complaint to have). I recently returned from a trip to NYC & Brooklyn with a laundry list of addresses to call on in my pocket; for five days I couldn’t quit smiling. There are some fantastic minds out there adding to the foundation which greats like Ralph Rapson established. I also think there’s been a revival in people calibrating their lives and patterns around modern design, once again we’re embracing that less is more and it’s plain to see that thinking is funneling energy into the design community.
Aside from that, I think we probably do what everyone else does; try to get to both ICFF and the Milan Furniture Show and lurk around online (Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, and MoCo Loco are permanently bookmarked).
As for new to the scene, we’re thrilled we get to be a part of the reintroduction of Rapson. It’s a beautiful thing when you can introduce a classic to a new generation.
3. Being surrounded by beautiful objects day in and day out, I imagine it would be tough to pick a favourite, but if you had to pick a favourite designer, who would it be and why?
This question is why my answers are late to you. It is impossible to choose one. Of course everyone at Mod Livin’ loves the legends who initially introduced modern to America in a way that made it entirely accessible, and in a way, friendly. The names we all know, Eero Saarinen, George Nelson, Harry Bertoia, Charles & Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Russel Wright, and of course Ralph Rapson. I wouldn’t have this job if it weren’t for those names, they’re our Rushmore.
Personally, the last year or so I’ve wanted to buy every piece of Adrianne Pearsall that comes within arm’s length. I love the exaggerated lines. The designs are simultaneously whimsical and elegant.
4. The Rapson Greenbelt line of lounge chairs is a fairly new addition to your inventory. If I may ask a leading question, what is it you like about the collection?
I think Rason Inc’s description of the line summed up my feelings perfectly, “…heirloom quality built with a conscience.” That’s what we’re all after today. We want heirloom pieces and we refuse to turn a blind eye to the materials and the hands that create them.
Amanda, Cinder & the Rapson Rocker
5. Lastly, what do you enjoy most about your career with Mod Livin'?
The amazing people I get to work with. I respect & appreciate everyone here more than I can explain. Being in an environment that revolves around creativity, design, art, & history while constantly learning from people who have seen all of the ins & outs of this industry is absolutely as good as it gets in my book. I learn something (usually several things) every single day.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
]]>[photo credit: coolhunting.com]
Boston isn't perceived as a hub of Modernism in the way that Palm Springs is, but in reality, the city and its modern retailers played a huge role in the development of Mass Modernism.
Ralph Rapson's drawings usually featured interiors with wildly modern furniture for the time. However, in the earlier part of his career, this furniture was often a sketch of his imagination; the real selection of Modern designs very was limited for Americans in the first years after WWII.
It was not that modern design had not fully ventured into furniture, but that the gap between high design and the American consumer market had not yet been breached. In 1940, The Museum of Modern Art in New York held a competition entitled, Organic Design in Home Furnishings, for which many of the most iconic mid-century furniture designs were submitted from international architects and designers. In the decade that followed, as many of these designs reached mass production, Ralph Rapson decided to open a store specifically for this type of merchandise.
Rapson-Inc. opened in 1950 at 282 Dartmouth Street, one block from Copley Square in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. The store sat just steps from some of the greats from the previous architectural eras, such as the Trinitiy Church in the Romanesque Revival style employed by H. H. Richardson and the Italian Renaissance styled Boston Public Library by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead, & White.
In the beginning, Ralph's wife, Mary, proposed that their stock rely heavily on goods of his own design and other larger pieces on credit from Knoll Associates, with whom he had been collaborating on a number of projects. The long and narrow space acted as a showroom for modern design. Creatively making use of the limited space, Angelo Tasta's fabrics hung full length from the ceiling and Knoll chairs were suspended from the walls. A mock living room arrangement and Rapson-designed storage cabinets were used to show customers how to incorporate modern design into their lives.
Not far away and not long after Rapson-Inc. closed because Ralph had gone to Europe to design a fleet of thoroughly Modern American embassies abroad, another store opened that would become the most influential design store for modern design. Rapson-Inc. was a store success with early adopters of Modernism in Boston, but another store would be the epicenter for Modern design not only in Boston but (arguably) in the whole of the U.S.
Founded in 1953 by architect Ben Thompson, Design Research (D/R) was a retailer of contemporary furnishings, from furniture to dinnerware to clothing. The first store opened on Brattle Street in Harvard Square. The concept - similar to Rapson-Inc.'s but with a much larger selection - was branded as a "lifestyle store", where patrons could buy nearly anything for their modern lifestyle in a range of prices, from a Joe Columbo chair down to $1 Mexican martini glasses. The store carried designs by the likes of Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, and Charles and Ray Eames, but it favored the European designs, particularily those from Scandinavian.
Design Research held sole rights in America to sell the Finnish Marimekko fabrics and garments from 1959-76. Jacqueline Kennedy was photographed during her husband's campaign and presidency wearing a number of Marrimekko dresses she purchased at D/R, bringing the until-then unknown Finnish designer to the forefront of American Modernism as the perfect model for the emerging independent woman.
A second store was designed and built in1969 by Thompson's architectural firm, Benjamin Thompson & Associates, at 48 Brattle Street. Thouroughly modern, the 24,000 sq ft building was constructed of concrete slabs supported by interior concrete columns, with floor-to-ceiling tempered glass exterior walls. In 2003, the building was awarded the AIA Twenty-Five Year Award for "architecture of enduring significance", and although Design Research closed its doors in 1978, its influence is not forgotten.
Written in part by Jane Thompson - Ben Thompson's widow, founder of I.D Magazine, and an architect and urban planner herself - Design Research: The Store that Brought Modern Living to American Homes documents the whole story of this influential enterprise.
[photo credit: Wikipedia]
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
MinnPost recently posted an interesting article about a modernist suburban town, Jonathan, Minnesota, which now acts as a neighborhood within the Chaska city limits. Jonathan was planned as a 'New Town' in the 1960s, based on an idea that originated in Sweden and took a strong hold in Scotland, England and the United States. Jonathan was the first of its kind in the US, putting into play many of the urban planning principles of its Swedish predecessors. I can't say if the creators of Jonathan looked specifically to Sweden as a guide, but I do know that one contributing architect, Ralph Rapson, spent much of the early 1950s in Scandinavian countries, designing US Embassies for Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, and The Hague. In the process of designing the Stockholm US Embassy, Rapson worked alongside the preeminent Stockholm urban planner, Sven Markelius, the man behind Stockholm's infamous 'Satellite Cities' or 'New Towns'.
Ralph Rapson designed only one home for the Jonathan community in 1966, The Red Cedar House - aka the Weyerhaeuser Demonstration House D-1317. Ralph was commissioned by the Weyerhaeuser Company to design "a house for everyman", using Weyerhaeuser products. The home was featured in Better Homes & Gardens and the plans were made available to anyone for reproduction. It was intended for the self-supporting community to be linked to the Twin Cities via some sort of high speed rail system, much like the Satellite Cities of Stockholm, but the Jonathan Development Corporation folded in 1979 before that stage of the project was realized.
Much of the futuristic town remains intact, including The Red Cedar House. See the MinnPost article for more on the history and quirky characteristics of Minnesota's own 'New Town'.
[photo credits: Triangle Modernist Houses]
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
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As well as being the CEO at Loll, Greg Benson designs products for Loll Designs and is always on the lookout for fun, new areas for them to enter. When Greg came to an AIA (American Institute of Architects) convention in late 2011 to show new Loll pieces and take the pulse of architects, he met Toby Rapson, AIA. They agreed quickly that collaborating on a Rapson Line by Loll Designs would be a fun project.
As a designer, Greg was already interested in pushing Loll's expertise in working with recycled plastic into new outdoor forms. In particular, the daring lines and softer curves of mid-century modern furniture appealed to him. Toby suggested that his father's designs for the Greenbelt Line would be an interesting possibility, and he was excited to have the designs executed in recycled plastic. After Toby completed the initial renderings of the Greenbelt Line in Loll's signature material, Greg and Jeff Taly at Loll built a more detailed design using both Toby's renderings and the dimensions of Ralph Rapson's Greenbelt Line (originally the Rapson Line for H.G. Knoll). The result was not just a new line of chairs, but also a completely new system of stainless steel fasteners that help keep the swooping profile of the Greenbelt seat in both lowback and highback forms while using only sheet goods.
Even after these first strong prototypes were ready, more work was needed to meet the high standards of both companies. After some rigorous Minnesota load-testing (that is, watching a weekend of hockey while sitting in a prototype), Greg and the team at Loll worked very hard to ensure the seat had enough support in key areas and matched the feel of the original indoor versions. In the end, both companies are ecstatic with the results of the collaboration.
Toby Rapson, in particular, thinks that both the designs themselves and the strong, iterative design collaboration with Loll do credit to his father's legacy. Good design is not just a result but a process, and he thinks that his dad would agree that the iterative collaboration with Loll is a great example of how it can be done.
A big thanks to our friends at YLiving as well as all our other great retail partners who are now highlighted under the 'Retailers' menu of our new site.
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I have come across the Ralph Rapson designed St. Peter’s Lutheran Church a number of times in print, but this past Monday, I finally went to see it in person. Toby Rapson had warned me of some insensitive changes made to the building over the years, so my mild disappointment wasn’t unexpected. The sanctuary was still wonderful, even on an overcast grey day. The 8 peaks of the octagonal plan let in floods of bright white light, illuminating the pulpit and the whole sanctuary. Much like a theatre in the round, the space is democratic, with no seat is too far from the centre.
My disappointment lies in the space around the sanctuary. Crowding the sanctuary, the space is dark and uninspiring. Looking back to photos after its construction in 1957, I see that originally, this space was lined with large floor to ceiling exterior windows. One wall of the sanctuary was also open to this surrounding space, creating a nice open flow. Now it feels as if the sanctuary is a mismatched piece squeezed into the wrong puzzle. Regardless, the sanctuary is one of a kind and is definitely worth seeing.
[photo credit: Rapson Architects]
[all other photos credits to: Caroline Engel]
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
It was Rapson’s friendship with Florence Schust, the talented designer and future wife of Hans Knoll, that brought Rapson designs to the mass market and out of studio production. The Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company had been established in New York City in 1938. In 1941, the first Knoll modern furniture line was released - the “600 Series”, most of which was designed by Jens Risom, but would later include all the pieces of the Rapson Line for Knoll as well.
[photo credit: Rapson Architects, all rights reserved]
Many people note the similarity in materials and upholstery between these early Risom pieces and Rapson pieces for Knoll. In fact, the use of webbed upholstery was common among the early Modernists because it allowed for clean lines and met the materials restrictions of the times - including wartime, when there were strict limits on the length of wood pieces available as well as metal for springs and upholstery materials. Rapson’s Highback Rocker for the 1940 Organic Design competition used hardwood and webbed cotton and predated the Risom pieces for H.G. Knoll in the same materials, but both designers followed in the footsteps of Alvar Alto, who pioneered the use of webbing to enable a clean form using simple, natural materials.
In 1944, Knoll and his wife, Florence Schust Knoll, established the Knoll Planning Unit to lead the research/design project he called “Equipment for Living” which was to prepare for a dramatic change in furnishing style and material after the end of World War II. Knoll believed a closer collaboration between stream-lined production and the talented designers was needed to successfully bring quality, affordable modern furniture to the masses. To set the project off on the right foot, Florence looked to Cranbrook for cutting-edge designers. Rapson was the first selected for the Planning Unit, followed by Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen and six others who together designed many of the modern classics associated with Knoll’s dominant role in defining Modern furniture.
Hans Knoll contacted wartime manufacturers in hopes of enticing them to partner for postwar production of modern furniture. Kellet AirCraft Corporation was the first to sign on to the Equipment for Living line but specified that the furniture be constructed of aluminum. In May 1944, Knoll asked Rapson to design a line of outdoor furniture for production at Kellet. Three weeks later, Rapson flew to New York with sketches of an outdoor chair, a side table, a tea wagon, and others in tow. To be constructed of tubular steel, the designs were light and playful. Knoll was reportedly delighted and wasn’t expecting something so exciting. Walter Baermann, the firm’s Head of Design, said Rapson’s furniture had a “personality, a quality that must be kept and not lost, even in the smallest detail.”
In the end, the financial details derailed the project and Kellet never produced these Rapson designs, but Knoll and Rapson were not deterred. “The Rapson Line” for Knoll had its first footings. Check back for articles following the development and marketing of the Rapson Line for Knoll.
Further reading: King Hession, J., Rapson, R., & Wright, B. N. (1999). Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design. Afton: Afton Historical Society Press.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
]]>As a recent addition to the Rapson-Inc. team, this is my inaugurating piece in a succession of weekly blog articles. Through these entries, I hope introduce our readers and clients to Ralph Rapson as an architect and furniture designer, as well as unveil the behind-the-scenes and lesser known stories of his prolific career and influential designs.
Our most recent sale is proof that word of a good thing travels far and wide. On Valentine’s Day, a custom Rapson Rapid Rocker made its journeyto Warsaw, Poland, to the headquarters of the renowned architectural firm, Kurylowicz & Associates. Shown below are the photos of the chair under production. Purchased by Ewa Kurylowicz, Owner and General Designer of the firm, the chair is to be used in her new apartment on the top floor of the ultra sleek Nowe Powi?le residential complex designed by her firm. I was curious to hear how Ms. Kurylowicz had heard about the Rapson-Inc. furniture, so I fired off a few questions, to which she and her son, Marek, most graciously replied to.
1. How did you hear about the new line of reproduction pieces by Rapson-Inc?
Ewa: My son and his wife helped me finding the corresponding links In Internet
Marek: It was recommended to us by one of our interior designers. My mother, the general designer at our company was looking for a rocking chair to her new apartment and sent a query around our office asking for tips. She received several proposals and picked your product.
2. Do you have any personal or professional connection to the late Ralph Rapson?
Ewa: None, unfortunately
3. What made you decide on the chair you purchased?
Ewa: Its grace , form and looks (also colours)
[photo credits: Rapson-Inc.]
4. Where will this chair be used? Is it a personal purchase or for a client?
Ewa: It is a personal purchase but , In fact- semi personal , because I am an owner of a relatively big architectural office and I use my personal projects for the business purposes too.The chair will be In my appartment which is located on the top floor of Nowe Powi?le residential complex, designed by us, which You can see on our Web site
Marek: It's a personal purchase for my mothers new apartment located in the new premium residential complex designed by our studio. The investment is called nowe powi?le, it can be found on our website.
I have been browsing through the Kurylowicz & Associates website, and you have many many beautiful projects in your portfolio -
Ewa: Thank You
5. Do you have a favorite project? If so, which one and why?
Ewa: I do not have the one which I would especially like. All projects , especially the ones my team was designing (before my husband’s tragic death last June) I was a head of one of 6 design teams our Office consists of, responsible for i.e. buidlings like Mariott Hotel, Office building Wolf Marsz?akowska, EMI Pomaton, Fuji Fotex, all single family house designer and built by us, including the one In Kazimierz
Marek: We have a saying that our favourite project is the one we are working on right now and the ones ahead but if you are asking about the ones we like to brag the most about I would point out the HQ for LOT airlines. It's a minimalistic and very technologically refined building with many connections to aviation itself.
6. I particularly love the private house at Kazimierz. What was the inspiration for this house? Could you share any interesting stories related to his project?
Ewa: I am very pleased since it is my and my team’ s design (see above). This is the house we planned to be our private retreat from the crowded Warsaw, in a very beautiful renaissance town on Vistula River, 140 km south from Warsaw, a place for family meetings. The inspiration was the local architecture and very specific location on the escarpment. It was built In 2006 with the use of local limestone. It is a so-called passive house, with the heat pump and mechanical ventilation system. Majority of the furniture was designed by us (also my husband himself), the fire place was designed by the artist and finished with the use of hand made ceramic tiles. Together with my husband, we used to work at the Faculty of Architecture, at the Warsaw University of Technology as the professors and this house was also planned to be a place for the seminars with our students. Now, when I remained alone, I still plan to conduct these meetings with them, twice a year, if my work at the Office (70 architects) which I am now running with my son Marek and my friend Piotr Kuczynski, allows for it. The house gained quite a big popularity and, like many other our design was widely published In Polish architectural magazines.
You are welcome to visit it when You come to Poland!
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
]]>With over 70 employees on staff, Kurylowicz & Associates have a highly prolific profile. Much of their work is in the commercial sector, yet their structures are far from dull or run of the mill. As a practice, they seek to eliminate the too common division of social environments and commercial spaces. The Centre for Preventive Oncology in Warsaw is just one such example. The intent from inception was to create a calming sense of peace and harmony for patients. At the same time, the building emanates a message of superb care and technological advances. The pale silver exterior has a playful industrial aesthetic about it, accentuated by the Mario Bros geometrically shaped plots of grass in the surrounding landscape. The interior is light and airy, furnished with natural woods and vibrant space-age furniture. In turn, the atmosphere is a positive one, not one of boredom and dread that is so often felt in hospital waiting rooms.
Their adept, finely-tuned designs are not limited to large-scale projects. As mentioned in the preceding Q & A, the private house at Kazimierz was designed as a retirement home for Ewa and her late husband, and it currently serves as a weekend holiday home for the family. Although overtly modern in form and decor, the overall design pays tribute to the local historical building traditions. The natural lime stone walls, inside and out, along with the enormous wooden beams and ample wooden planking, create a tie between human habitation and nature. If it isn’t too early to dub a structure as neo-postmodern, this house is it. The forms are extruded, simplified and exaggerated, with a sort of light deconstructivist vibe. The stairways take on an almost structural quality, emphasizing the length and height of the house. Despite the oversized elements of the house, stairways, fireplace, ceiling beams, etc., and the actual large volume of the house, the spaces appear intimate and inviting, a feat that should not be under-acknowledged.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
]]>Fellow modernist enthusiast and collector, Larry Weinberg of Weinberg Furniture, recently contacted us about a piece in his collection that he believed to have been one of Ralph Rapson’s designs. He acquired this slatted wooden bench with a metal base from an associate in the Boston area in the mid-1990s. The table was purchased from its original owner, who remembered buying it in the early 1950s from the Rapson-Inc store near Copley Square in Boston. Rapson designed his own advertisements for the store and the slatted table appears in the sketch for a summer advertisement entitled ‘Summer Suggestions’.
Ralph often designed furniture for his store, which he sold alongside the other modernist mass-produced pieces like the Herman Miller bench and the Saarinen Womb Chair. Many of Ralph’s designs were one of a kind, which may be the case with this table Weinberg acquired. Ralph’s son Toby, owner of Rapson Architects, has a similar table that has been in the family since the 1950s. It has the same base with a butcher block top with slats running lengthwise as opposed to the short width-running wide planks on Weinberg’s table. Though Rapson was busy teaching architecture courses at MIT at that time, Rapson-Inc worked as a showroom for his continual exploration into modern furniture forms.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
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Boomerang for modern, established in 1985, has been a longtime pioneer in the revival of modern design. The shop, in the trendy North Little Italy district of San Diego, is a treasure trove of modern accesories, lighting, art and home furnishing, all arranged in inviting, home-like settings. We are so pleased that Ralph Rapson designs have found a San Diego home here!
Below is a short Q & A with David Skelley, owner of Boomerang for modern and pictured in the last photo. It comes as no surprise that he is just as delightful and sunny as his shop! I agree with David, it really is the people and stories that make modern design so wonderful.
1. It looks like you have been in the modern retail business at Boomerang for nearly 27 years. What initially drew you to mid-century modern design when it wasn't so popular in the 1980s?
In the late seventies an eccentric friend had me over to his home to show me some of his garage sale furniture finds which happened to be mid-century modern. I absolutely loved them. This was new and fascinating to me so for months and months I dove into the design section at the library to find out as much as I could. (pre-internet you know!) I somehow knew this was my calling and there was nothing to be done about it other than to open a small shop and try my hand at selling the stuff. You’re right, the eighties were a hard sell but it eventually caught on. Though I still have people coming into the shop telling me they hear this stuff is “coming back”! -I just agree with them and tell them that it’s been coming back at Boomerang for the last 27 years!
2. What is the most unique/exciting piece to grace your showroom?
Currently it’s hard to choose as so many special pieces have come in over the past couple of months. Though if I’m going to choose it would be an entire dining suite by designer Martin Borenstein for California’s Brown Saltman circa mid-fifties. The series is called “Variations” as the pieces are modular and expandable on demand. The buffet has separate units that are joined by sliding walnut couplers and the dining table has two benches each with three cushions. The center one is removable and the two outer ones can slide inwards to form a two seat bench for when the table isn’t using the leaves. Very ingenious and fun.
3. What do you enjoy most about running your business at Boomerang?
The great designs that flow through the shop are always a joy but really it’s the people. The customers, some of whom are seasoned and knowledgeable collectors and other wide-eyed newcomers who are just discovering this rich era of design. –And the amazing people I buy from. Most happen to be the original owners who happened to be quite progressive in their day and their stories add so much color, depth and even passion to each item!
4. How long have you had the Rapson Rockers on display in your showroom?
I have had the Rapson rockers in my showroom since their reintroduction starting with the Bentwood rocker and now I have low back and high back Greenbelt rockers in the showroom.
5. What types of response have you gotten from customers?
Nothing but high praise. I have a couple who own a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house very interested in my high back as these chairs were specified for some of his homes.
6. What do you personally like about the Rapson Rocker? What’s NOT to like?
They are stunning and sculptural from every angle. They are beautifully crafted and solid as a rock. The joinery and upholstery attention to detail are perfect. Plus they fit the human anatomy and rock like the dickens!
7. Have you long been an admirer of Rapson architecture and design? If so, what do you like about it and which projects are your favorites?
When I first became interested in this period of architecture and design I discovered the “Case Study House” program and Rapson’s delightful Greenbelt House. But what I really got a kick out of were his super amusing hand drawn illustrations with crazy looking people and animals doing crazy modern things in their Rapson designed homes.
We would like to extend a most sincere thank you to David for taking time to write such wonderful and entertaining responses for this interview. I will surely write a post about Ralph Rapson's wildly inventive drawings, but for the meantime, some of his best known drawings can be found in the books, Ralph Rapson: Sketches and Drawings from Around the World and Ralph Rapson: 60 Years of Modern Design.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
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This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the master upholsterers who works on Rapson chairs. Walt Thielbar is the owner of Walt's Upholstery in Harris, Minnesota. An hour outside of the metro Twin Cities and without a website or any advertising, Walt always has all the work he can handle. Why?
Well, Walt says he is "only as good as my last job," and that particularity for excellence has brought him a reputation as a top-notch upholsterer and made him a great partner for Rapson-Inc.
Walt started in the business 30 years ago, and got his first job out of college as a traveling dental chair upholsterer. They would send out fliers a week or so in advance, then arrive in each town from Minnesota to New York in their traveling restoration shop on wheels. He would restore the dental chairs on the spot and then move on to the next town. From the start, he grew a beard to appear older and more reputable, and though he doesn't need the beard as collateral today, he says he's afraid to get rid of it after all these years. Life on the road wasn't for Walt, so after 18 months, he settled in Harris and opened the shop he still runs today.
Walt keeps a small shop about an hour north of the Twin Cities in the old Harris bank. Using the old banking counter as his front desk, and the vault as a storage space for the textiles, the place barely resembles a bank aside from the original teller and cashier signs that hang over the two front doorways. The walls are bedecked with trophy catches and colorful wildlife. His joy is infectious when he talks of the 7 dogs he and his wife own at his lake shore home, which is perfectly situated on a hill to take in the sunsets over the lake. Aside from doing the job of his dreams, Walt is an avid hunter and animal lover. He raises numerous, beautiful varieties of pheasants, pigeons and chickens, and at one time, peacocks. As Walt garrulously talked of his home life, hobbies and work, I began to think that he may just be the happiest man on earth. It is absolutely impossible to leave his shop without a new spring in your step and a smile on your face.
Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.
]]>So, mark your calendars and please do come out to party! Not only will you get a look Ralph's design sketches in the exhibit, but you'll also get to be part of the design process by selecting which of several possible designs that DTC | X will bring into limited production next year.
We hope to see the many Twin Cities friends of Ralph, Rapson Architects, and great design - period - at the show and are really excited to work with DTC | X on a limited edition of the design chosen by Rapson fans. If you can't make it in because you're not lucky enough to live in during the wintertime, well, we've taken pity on you and will allow you to vote online starting the day after the exhibit opening. Just make sure you 'like' the Ralph Rapson Facebook page and look there for updates on voting online.
As if all these things weren't enough to justify a party, this will also be the Twin Cities premier for the Highback Rapson Greenbelt Rocker. This is the wonderfully contoured, fantastically comfortable modern rocker that Ralph entered in MoMA's Organic Design in Home Furnishings Competition of 1940. Sadly, it never went into production even though it was one of Ralph's favorites. Now, after wowing the crowd with comfort and style at ARCHER in D.C. last month, this chair, now in full production by us, will be on the floor for you to ogle and sit in starting December 29.
If you're a media type, or if you just can't get enough info about this fun new initiative and opening party, go ahead and check our press release.
UPDATE: Our friends at DTC can't get enough of the partying. Please join us for a closing event at DTC the night of Thursday, February 2, when the winning design will be announced.