Robert Haussmann

ROBERT HAUSSMANN (Switzerland, 1931-2021).
Set of sofa and pair of armchairs.
Steel and leather upholstery.
Measurements: 65 x 125 x 64 cm (sofa); 63 x 60 x 64 cm (armchairs).

The one we present here is a set of sofa and pair of armchairs with structure entirely made of steel, with the seat and back fully covered by white fabric upholstery. It is somewhat reminiscent of Mies Van der Rohe's Barcelona chair (except for the legs), an icon of 20th century design based on the "sella curulis", a type of seat used by Roman magistrates in antiquity.

Designer Robert Haussman is known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s, when he created radical and experimental designs, often inspired by minimalist and conceptual art. Together with Trix Haussmann he founded the General Institute of Design (Allgemeine Entwurfsanstalt) in 1967. He studied with Gerrit Rietveld in Amsterdam and later in Zurich with Swiss designer Willy Guhl and Bauhaus member Johannes Itten. He was professor of architecture at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart until 1996. Trix Högl (1933) completed her architectural studies at the ETH Zurich with Werner Max Moser and Jacques Schader. She was an associate professor of architecture at the ETH Zurich until 2002. Throughout her career the duo has won numerous awards for their work, including the Swiss Design Prize in 2007, and their creations have been exhibited in museums around the world. He also taught design at the Zurich School of Art and Design for many years. He currently lives and works in Zurich.