Set of 4 Mid-Century Modern Chairs "Revolt" by Friso Kramer for Ahrend
About the Item
- Creator:Ahrend de Cirkel (Manufacturer),Friso Kramer (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 32.09 in (81.5 cm)Width: 18.31 in (46.5 cm)Depth: 16.74 in (42.5 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Doornspijk, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1251221370262
Revolt Chair
Created by Dutch industrial designer Friso Kramer (1922–2019) in 1953, the lightweight, simple, curved sheet steel and plastic four-legged Revolt chair is among the Netherlands’ most revered pieces of furniture, and yet its author remains relatively unknown. Kramer’s works shaped many different spheres of Dutch life, from mailboxes to streetlights to furniture, and revolutionized postwar design. According to him, “If form does not contribute to function, it has no right to exist.”
Friso Kramer was the son of famous architect Piet Kramer and got his own start studying architecture and interior design at Amsterdam’s Institute of Applied Art. After 1948, Kramer worked as a designer at furniture manufacturer Ahrend de Cirkel and later cofounded the highly influential design studio Total Design. In the 1950s, Kramer became involved in the Stichting Goed Wonen (Good Living Foundation), whose mission was to aid with reconstruction after the war and to improve the general lack of style and materials during this time. It was also during this time that he began designing several metal and plastic chairs, among them the Revolt chair, which became one of the first mass-produced pieces of furniture and a darling of Dutch mid-century modernism.
The Revolt chair was exhibited at the Milan Triennial in 1954. Its construction reflected modern-day research in ergonomics and was widely used in private homes as well as public spaces. Over time, the versatile Revolt chair has become one of Kramer’s most recognizable designs. Following a couple of relaunches, it is still in production today by Royal Ahrend.
Examples of the Revolt chair are in the permanent collection of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, which devoted an exhibition to Kramer’s work in 1991. Kramer’s contribution to postwar design was honored with the title Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1979.
Friso Kramer
Through both his bold furniture designs and his teaching and administrative positions within the architecture and design industries, the solution-oriented Friso Kramer helped elevate industrial design to a venerated place in the modernist canon.
While the mid-century years saw no shortage of function-minded modernists, Kramer may have been the most extreme of them. “If form does not contribute to the function, it has no right to exist,” the Dutch designer once said. Born in Amsterdam in 1922 to the pioneering architect Piet Kramer, Friso studied architecture, industrial design, electrical engineering and interior design. He cut his teeth in the studios of architect Jan Piet Kloos and interior designer Frans Paulussen, then, in 1948, went to work as a designer at the steel furniture manufacturer De Cirkel (part of the Ahrend group), where he would design some of his best-known work.
The 1953 Revolt chair, which is among his most celebrated seating and a darling of Dutch mid-century modernism, embodied Kramer’s function-first design; its skeletal, industrial form provides for maximum comfort and ergonomic support with minimal material. He joined forces with Wim Rietveld, son of celebrated Dutch modernist Gerrit Rietveld, for the 1958 Result chair, which married elements of the Revolt with forms from Rietveld’s Pyramid series. Kramer found numerous ways to riff on and perfect his brand of minimalism: The 1960 Resort and Repose armchairs demonstrate how he slightly tweaked the skeletal frames for different postures and uses.
In 1963, Kramer left Ahrend to found Total Design Studio with Wim Crouwel, Benno Wissing and Paul and Dick Schwartz. The firm grouped graphic, industrial and spatial design under one roof with the shared belief in functionalism. Though Total Design Studio is still in business today, Kramer left the company to return to Ahrend in 1971, serving as art director until 1983. Following Kramer’s death in 2019, Ahrend teamed up with Danish design brand HAY to relaunch the Result and Revolt chairs.
Find vintage Friso Kramer chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Doornspijk, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Set of 4 Mid-Century Modern Teak Wood Dining Chairs by Johannes AndersenBy Johannes AndersenLocated in Doornspijk, NLThese very elegantly designed dining chairs are made of teak wood. They have some eye-catching details such as the visually floating seats, the protective feet covers and the visual ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Bauhaus Style Set of 4 Spoleto Chairs by Ufficio Tecnico for Knoll InternationalBy KnollLocated in Doornspijk, NLUfficio Tecnico, Knoll’s own team of engineers and designers, created this cantilevered tubular metal chair in 1971 and called it the Spoleto. The ...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mid-Century Modern Chair Designed by Wim Rietveld for AupingBy Wim Rietveld, AupingLocated in Doornspijk, NLMid-Century Modern chair designed by Wim Rietveld for Auping. It was conceived especially for the bedroom boasting a broad backrest to hang cloth...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mid-Century Modern Set of 10 Ceramic Boxes by Pino Spagnolo for Sicart, ItalyBy Sicart, Pino SpagnoloLocated in Doornspijk, NLSet of 10 ceramic boxes designed by Pino Spagnolo for Sicart. The set exists of three different colors: 4x black, 2x white and 4x orange. ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Mid-Century Modern Set of Five Stainless Steel Pans by Dick Simonis for GeroLocated in Doornspijk, NLFour beautiful pans and a milk cooker conceived by Dutch designer Dick Simonis. This is the version with raised lids, model 5752. Simonis also designed a ...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Mid-Century Modern "620" Easy Chair by Dieter Rams for VitsoeBy Vitsoe, Dieter RamsLocated in Doornspijk, NLThe seating system Dieter Rams designed in 1962 for Vitsoe is just as timeless as his famous Shelving System. The modular principle allows for extreme flexibility. This chair has b...Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Fiberglass
- Set of 6 Revolt Chairs by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, Netherlands, 1956By Friso Kramer, Ahrend de CirkelLocated in Steenwijk, NLThe 'Revolt' chair was designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel. An award winning design that has become an icon of Dutch industrial design from the 1950's. This solid chair has...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Friso Kramer Revolt chairs wood for Ahrend de Cirkel, 1963By Friso Kramer, Ahrend de CirkelLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantSuper nice set of eight revolt dining chairs designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, Holland, 1953. Though the Revolt chair was already designed in 1953, the production starte...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of four Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel "Revolt" dining chairs, 1993By Friso Kramer, Ahrend de CirkelLocated in Amsterdam, NLSet of four Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel "Revolt" dining chairs, The Netherlands 1993 Black metal frame and black plastic seating and back. In good condition with minor traces o...Category
1990s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 'Revolt' Chair by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, the Netherlands, 1953By Ahrend de Cirkel, Friso KramerLocated in Steenwijk, NLThe 'Revolt' chair was designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel. An award winning design that has become an icon of Dutch industrial design from the 1950s. The chair has a folde...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Friso Kramer Revolt Chairs for Ahrend de Cirkel 1963By Friso KramerLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantSuper nice and scarce set 6 Revolt chairs designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, Holland 1953. Though the Revolt chair was already designed in 1953, the production started in...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Rare Set of Six Early Edition Friso Kramer Revolt ChairsBy Ahrend de Cirkel, Friso KramerLocated in Los Angeles, CAOriginally designed in 1953 by possibly the greatest of all Dutch mid-century designers, Friso Kramer, and created for renowned furniture maker Ahrend de Cirkel The Revolt was intend...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel