Jordi Vilanova

JORDI VILANOVA (Barcelona, 1925-1998).
Pair of bedside tables, ca.1970.
Walnut wood.
Original metal handles.
They have been restored.
Measurements: 70 x 45 x 40 cm. each.

Pair of bedside tables designed by Jordi Vilanova in the seventies. It stands out for its elegance and the purity of its lines, as well as its brutalist aspect. Each consists of two drawers, with metal handles that have a geometric design in keeping with the essentialist structure of the furniture. It is raised off the floor by means of support points that are not visible. The polished finish of the metal dialogues with the wood to form an attractive whole.

Catalan interior designer and cabinetmaker, Jordi Vilanova enrolled in 1939 at the Escuela de Trabajo y Oficios Artísticos de la Lonja. He completed his training in the workshop of Busquets, and between 1940 and 1953 he collaborated in the studio of Lluís Gili. Jordi Vilanova was founder and promoter of the Catalan art magazine "Questions d'Art" (1967-74). In 1974 he opened premises with a permanent exhibition of furniture and upholstery of his own design, forming part of the Official College of Interior Decorators and Designers of Barcelona and the SAD. His modern furniture and his way of resolving spaces were initially aimed at a large public of limited economic resources and, consequently, homes with less living space. However, this great majority did not understand his proposal. Instead, it was the Catalan bourgeoisie, eager to break with outdated stylistic canons, who embraced his work. His specialty was furniture for children, such as the Delta stool, which won the Delta de Plata Prize awarded by the ADI/FAD in 1964. He held exhibitions of his work in Scandinavia. Among his most representative designs are the Tiracord and Billar chairs (1961), the Montseny MP bunk bed (1961), the Tartera (1966) and Petit (1978) rocking chairs and the Z magazine rack (1987) designed together with his son Pau Vilanova Vila-Abadal. It is currently represented in the Design Museum of Barcelona.