Wilhelm Wagenfeld featured image

Known for MTS Table Lamp

Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900 – 1990) was a German architect and industrial designer.

Education

He worked as an apprentice at the Koch und Bergfeld silverware factory in Bremen from 1915 to 1918. He was also a student at Bremen’s Kunstgewerbeschule and Hanau’s Staatkiche Zeihenakademie from 1919 to 1921. He studied privately in Bremen and Worpswede between 1921 and 1922. 1923 – 1924 at the Bauhaus, Weimar under László Moholy-Nagy.

Egg cups, 1938 designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Egg cups, 1938 designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld

Biography

He was an assistant lecturer at the Bauhaus in Weimar from 1922 to 1929, where he primarily designed lighting fixtures. 

The MTS Table Lamp

The MTS table lamp, circa 1923, featured a nickel-plated brass disc base with three small hemispherical cushioned feet and a cylindrical column topped by a metal ring on which a hemispherical shade rested. One of the earliest instances of the Bauhaus design philosophy was this light. It was available in two variations: one with a glass disc base and a metal base. Schwintzer und Graff, Berlin, produced it in both versions until 1928. By 1930, Bunter and Remmeler in Frankfurt had created a variation model. Wagenfeld further developed the model by Architekturbedarf in Dresden in 1931. It is regarded as a design symbol of the twentieth century, and it is still in production today.

Bauhaus lamp by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Carl Jakob Jucker (1923 - 1924)
Bauhaus lamp by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Carl Jakob Jucker (1923 – 1924)

Bauhaus

He was the Bauhaus metalworking department’s director in 1929. During his time at the Bauhaus, he also developed metalwork and carved and printed woodcuts. However, he is best renowned for his glasswork. He became the director of the Staatliche Hochschule für Baukunst und Handwerk’s metal workshop in Weimar. From 1931 to 1935, he lived in Berlin and taught at the Kunsthochschule. Director of the glassworking department in 1942.

The 1930s

He worked for Jenaer Glaswerke Schott und Genossen from 1930 to 1934. There built heat-resistant glass kitchenware for mass production, such as the 1932 teapot and diffuser, cups and saucers, 1934 coffee percolator, and 1935 kitchenware, much of which is still in production today. In addition, he designed pressed-glass utility dishes and table glass for Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, where he was artistic director from 1935 to 1938. The 1938 Kubus-Geschirr (Cube-formed Dishes) modular stacking containers for Lausitzer (nine pressed-glass components making a cube shape when combined) and the 1938 zig-zag shaped ink bottle for the Pelikan ink firm are two of his most well-known designs. At Lausitzer, his claimed purpose was to manufacture glass that was affordable and good enough for the wealthy. In 1936, Dr Mey, co-chair Lausitzer, established Wagenfeld with a ten-person design department. Wagenfeld’s Oberweimar glasses, which were deemed elitist at the time, outsold every pair of glasses ever created.

Teapot, 1930 - 1934 glass designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Teapot, 1930 – 1934 glass designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld

Nazi Era

During the Nazi era, he created austere Bauhaus shapes, and after WWII, he continued to work at Lausitzer. In 1947, he was appointed as a design professor at Berlin’s Hochschule für Bildenden Kunste. He opened his studio in Stuttgart in 1954. He worked as a consultant designer for Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMEF), designing in-flight hospitality packs for Lufthansa, porcelain for Rosenthal, Braun appliances, and lighting for WMF and Schott. Porzellanmanufaktur Fürstenberg made his porcelain designs in 1934. His work appeared in various publications, including issues of the magazines’ Die Form and Kunst und Handwerk. He wrote publications on industrial design theory, emphasising the importance of a functional approach to effective design.

Recognition

His Jena and Lausitzer designs were shown at 1937 Paris’ Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne’ (two grand prizes). Other awards included; 

  • bronze medal at 1936 (VI) and grand prizes at 1940 (VII) and 1957 (XI) Triennali di Milano; 
  • 1968 ‘Berliner Kunstpreis,’ Bonn; 
  • 1969 Heinrich Tessenow Medal at the Technische Universitat, Hanover; 
  • 1969 Bundespreis ‘Die gute Industrieform,’ Bonn. 
  • Work was subject of 1960 ‘Industrieware von Wilhelm Wagenfeld’ exhibition, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich; 
  • ‘Wilhelm Wagenfeld: 50 Jahre Mitarbeit in Fabriken’ exhibition, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne, 1973, and Die Neue Sammlung, Munich, 1974; 
  • 1980 ‘Wilhelm Wagenfeld: Schone Form, Gute Ware’ exhibition, Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart. 
  • Glassware and metalwork for WMF included in 1983—84 ‘Design Since 1945’ exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Many of his designs are kept in the collections of prominent museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and a museum dedicated to his work has been constructed in Bremen, Germany.

List of Works on 1stdibs.com

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

Woodham, J. M. (2006). A dictionary of modern design. Oxford University Press.

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    Hasuike founded his firm in Milan after studying architecture and industrial design in Tokyo and working for Seiko for a year. He has designed for various well-known brands, including Gaggia coffee machines, Panasonic electronic items, Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware and tableware, Grand Gourmet kitchen knives (1994), and WMF cookware. Read More →

  • Daniel Weil unconventional industrial designs

    Daniel Weil unconventional industrial designs

    From 1981, he designed a series· of digital clocks, radios, and lighting for his own firm Parenthesis. His 1984 Andante deconstructed radio was executed with colourful separate parts housed in a clear plastic bag to be wall-hung. It was part of the Anthologie collection for Quartett.Read More →

  • Cini Boeri Italian Furniture & Industrial Designer

    Cini Boeri Italian Furniture & Industrial Designer

    She worked as an interior and furniture designer in the studio of Marco Zanuso, Milan, 1952—63. In 1963, she set up her studio, specializing in civil and interior architecture and industrial design. She was associated with ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale). In 1979, she formed Cini Boeri Associati, Milan. Read More →

  • Pedro Miralles (1955 – 1993) Spanish architect and designer

    Pedro Miralles (1955 – 1993) Spanish architect and designer

    In Madrid, he encountered people associated with postmodern culture, including architect Rafael Moneo, his university professor, and members of the Madrid movida movement, such as film director Pedro Almodóvar and fashion designer Jess del Well.Read More →

  • Ross Franklin Littell (1924 – 2000) American textile and furniture designer

    Ross Franklin Littell (1924 – 2000)  American textile and furniture designer

    Ross Franklin Littell (1924 – 2000) was an American textile and furniture designer known forRead More →

  • Grant Featherston (1922 – 1995) Australian Designer

    Grant Featherston (1922 – 1995) Australian Designer

    He was born in Geelong, Victoria. In 1965, he married Mary Bronwyn Currey, an English-born interior designer, and the pair worked closely as interior designers for many decades. Between 1938-39, Featherston designed decorative-glass panels for Oliver-Davey Glass, Melbourne, and 1939-40 lighting for Newton and Gray, Melbourne. Read More →

  • Tias Eckhoff (1926 – 2016) Norwegian designer, metalworker, ceramicist

    Tias Eckhoff (1926 – 2016) Norwegian designer, metalworker, ceramicist

    Tias Eckhoff (1926 – 2016) was a well-known industrial designer in Norway. His production was constrained, but many of his products have endured as timeless design classics. In addition to the design of RBM Ana, RBM Bella, and Low-back Bella, he was also responsible for the famous Maya cutlery and Glohane tableware, to name a…

  • Le Corbusier Swiss born architect designer and theorist

    Le Corbusier Swiss born architect designer and theorist

    Born Charles Édouard Jeanneret, Swiss-born architect, designer and theorist, Le Corbusier was one of the most influential artistic figures in 20th-century architecture, publisher of the Esprit Nouveau Modernist newspaper in 1920, author of several influential books including Vers une architecture (1923), L’art décoratif d’aujourd’hui (1925) and Les 5 points d (CIAM). He also coined the…

  • Marc Newson’s Aluminum Chair for Knoll

    Marc Newson’s Aluminum Chair for Knoll

    Honoring the cantilevered chairs of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Newson Aluminum Chair, 90 years later, is a forward-looking expression that synthesizes simplicity, material and precision, in the Modernist tradition.Read More →

  • Emilio Ambasz Argentine architect and designer

    Emilio Ambasz Argentine architect and designer

    Emilio Ambasz is an Argentinean who studied architecture at Princeton University from 1960 to 1965, worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York from 1970 to 1975 as Curator of Design arranged the landmark Italy: The New Domestic Landscape Exhibition in 1972.Read More →

  • Sori Yanagi – Japanese Industrial Designer

    Sori Yanagi – Japanese Industrial Designer

    Sori Yanagi (1915-2011) was an industrial designer from Japan. Although previously trained as a fine artist and worked in an architectural studio, Yanagi went on to study industrial design in 1947.Read More →

  • Brooks Stevens (1911 – 1995) American Industrial Designer

    Brooks Stevens (1911 – 1995) American Industrial Designer

    Brooks Stevens was an American industrial designer. He was born in Wisconsin and was active in Milwaukee. He studied at Cornell University in Utica, New York.Read More →

  • George Sakier (1897 – 1965) American Industrial Designer

    George Sakier (1897 – 1965) American Industrial Designer

    George Sakier (1897 – 1965) was a multifaceted artist who worked as an interior designer,Read More →

  • Massimo Vignelli designer of subway maps to corporate logos

    Massimo Vignelli designer of subway maps to corporate logos

    Massimo Vignelli and his wife Leila, an architect, were considered a husband and wife team credited with introducing restrained, European fashion and taste in America in the 1970s.Read More →

  • Adalberto Dal Lago (b.1937) – Italian Architect and designer

    Adalberto Dal Lago (b.1937) – Italian Architect and designer

    Adalberto Dal Lago is an Italian architect and designer: born and active Milan. He was an assistant, Facolta di Architettura, Politecnico di Milano from 1964-70 and subsequently chair of interior design and then of the elements of composition. He published books on design and Modern architecture. The European Council commissioned him and architect Marco Zanus…

  • Piero Polato (b.1936) Italian Industrial Designer

    Piero Polato (b.1936) Italian Industrial Designer

    At ISIA, Urbano, Polato taught metallurgy. He wrote books about design education. Saiet, Avancart, Pellizzari, RAI, Televisione Svizzera Italiana, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Franco Rosso International, Fratelli Coppola, Furla, Mursia Editore, Robots, Zucchi, Il Bustese, and Muncherner Ruck were among his clientele. He was an ADI member (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale).Read More →

  • The brains and Braun of designer Dieter Rams

    The brains and Braun of designer Dieter Rams

    The way Dieter Rams tell it good design boils down to something as simple durability. Okay, not durability alone. A Well-designed piece is so self-explanatory that figuring out how to use it as simple as looking at it. And a design develops from the inside out because it involves not only aesthetics but also function.Read…

  • Carlo Mollino (1905 – 1973) Italian architect and designer

    Carlo Mollino (1905 – 1973) Italian architect and designer

    Today, Carlo Mollino seems just as important as when he was alive. The designer left his mark on the world of industrial design of the 20th century through one of a kind objects, incorporating new techniques and materials produced rather than batch productions in the form of collector’s items.Read More →

  • Giancarlo Pozzi (1924 – ) Italian Industrial Designer

    Giancarlo Pozzi (1924 – ) Italian Industrial Designer

    Pozzi’s professional career began in 1950. He worked with architect Alberto Rosselli from 1963 to 1967. From 1970 to 1974, he collaborated with Achile Castiglioni and the Ponti/Fornaroli/Rosselli Studio.Read More →

  • Thomas Lamb – Industrial Designer – “The Handle Man”

    Thomas Lamb – Industrial Designer – “The Handle Man”

    Thomas Lamb founded his textile design studio at seventeen, specialising in advertising, fashion, and magazine illustration. In the 1920s, his bedspreads, napkins, and draperies were immensely popular. Many New York department stores carried them, including Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue.Read More →

  • Wolff Olins British Design Studio

    Wolff Olins British Design Studio

    Wolff Olins has offices in London, Madrid, Lisbon, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo, and has been a leading British design agency for nearly four decades, with a special focus on corporate identity and branding. It is a subsidiary of Omnicom Group.Read More →

  • The Wit and Humour of the Gibigiana Table Lamp

    The Wit and Humour of the Gibigiana Table Lamp

    Castiglioni’s approach to design is characterised by wit and humour, which is portrayed here by a shape that resembles an animal or bird. The Gibigiana is a table light that may be adjusted. It includes a dimmer and produces reflected light. Read More →

  • Alfons Bach (1904 – 1999) German Industrial Designer

    Alfons Bach (1904 – 1999) German Industrial Designer

    In New York City, Bach planned the remodelling of Sach’s and the Seneca Textile Building. His work was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in early contemporary industrial art shows. In Stamford, Connecticut, he created his own home in 1938. He oversaw the construction of the Ridgeway Center, one of the country’s earliest shopping…

  • Gere Kavanaugh American textile, industrial & interior designer

    Gere Kavanaugh American textile, industrial & interior designer

    Kavanaugh worked for General Motors as a stylist, primarily designing exhibitions to demonstrate autos and creating displays, model kitchens, and interiors. She was one of the company’s first female designers, called the “Damsels of Design” by design director Harley Earl. Read More →

  • Damsels of Design – 1950s Industrial Designer

    Damsels of Design – 1950s Industrial Designer

    They played a significant role in establishing the credibility of women designers in a mainstream industrial context because they were fully trained in industrial design. They worked on the styling and detailing of household appliances and details for the Frigidaire Production Studio, in addition to their styling of GM car interiors and controls, as well…

  • Jens Harald Quistgaard (1919-2008) – Danish designer

    Jens Harald Quistgaard (1919-2008) – Danish designer

    After the second world war, Jens Harald Quistgaard was apprenticed in the Georg Jensen Solvsmedie in Copenhagen. He has experimented with various media such as wood, metal, glass, steel and ceramics. Ted Nierenberg, the founder of Dansk International, noticed him because of his distinctively Danish craft aesthetic.Read More →

  • Christopher Dresser (1834 – 1904) – British Industrial Designer

    Christopher Dresser (1834 – 1904) – British Industrial Designer

    Dresser was a one-of-a-kind designer in the nineteenth century. He is regarded as a forerunner of modern industrial design, creating simple, practical things for mass production when colleagues like William Morris and John Ruskin advocated a return to craft production based on the mediaeval guild model.Read More →

  • Marc Newson industrial designer from Sydney, Australia.

    Marc Newson industrial designer from Sydney, Australia.

    Mark Newson is an industrial designer from Sydney, Australia. He earned his education at Sydney’s College of Art, where he majored in jewellery design.Read More →

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