Gubi Magazine
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Greta Grossmann MATHIEU matÉgot THE BESTLITE COLLECTION about gubi THE PEDRERA COLLECTION GAMFRATESI THE quistgaard safari CHAIR THE SEMI COLLECTION Launching new Design Icons

icon: from Greek [eikōn] “A design icon can be a symbol that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group. A representation of an object may come to be regarded as having a special status as particularly representative of a particular a place, or a period in history.”

content Words from the CEO 4 TEXT JACOB GuBI Who was Greta Magnusson Grossman? 6 GALERIST EVAN SCHNEIDERMAN ANSWERS QUESTIONS 26 Mathieu Matégot 12 Precursor of design 32 From Gaudi to GUBI 20 ABOUT GUBI 26 Vision, determination and courage 20 12 Functionalism at its best 32 THE SEMI PENDANT UNCOVERED QUISTGAARD 36 8 things you need to know 44 The Real Bestlite Story 40 06 GamFratesi two design traditions 44 visiting the production 36 40 THE CONTRIBUTERS // TEXT // Allan Torp, Jacob Gubi & Kathryn Dighton LAYOUT// Stine Laurberg & Kamilla Schultz PHOTOGRAPHERS // Bjarke Johansen, Thomas...

words from the ceo words from the ceo WORDS FROM THE CEO It is not easy, this process of launching new furniture. The procedure is almost identical, whether we are uncovering design icons from the past or creating a totally new design –development takes considerable time, involving many different tasks and a hardworking work force to undertake them. From the very beginning of a project to its completion, there are more than 100 tasks, large and small, that all have to come together. So, without an untiring personnel it would be impossible and I am very pleased with their hard work. We are...

the grossman collection THE GROSSMAN COLLECTION Who was Greta Magnusson Grossman? TEXT // Kathryn Dighton photo // BJARKE JOHANSEN Greta Magnusson Grossman (1906-1999) was a woman ahead of her time and the architect of her own success; her design excellence was matched with a unique vision, supreme confidence and a will to succeed. Woman in a man’s world “The only advantage a man has in furniture designing is his greater physical strength” - Greta Magnusson Grossman “Are you Swedish?” “Yes,” said Grossman “So am I,” said the stranger. “My name is Garbo. Greta Garbo” Making it modern Taking...

GUBI Design Icons THE GROSSMAN COLLECTION Many were successful women who welcomed Grossman into their world. “How was it to work as a female architect?” “Often it was a drawback but It kept you on your toes. You had to be a step ahead or else” Greta Magnusson Grossman In the course of her career Grossman designed for many companies but production runs were exceptionally small - often less than 200 pieces were made and original samples are scarce. Glenn of California, who produced some of Grossman’s most sophisticated furniture designs, characterised by asymmetric lines and unusual...

the grossman collection THE GROSSMAN COLLECTION The man who recently co-curated the exhibition, Greta Magnusson Grossman, “A Car and Some Shorts” for the Arkitekturmuseet in Stockholm. Interview with gallery owner, Evan Snyderman Q. How did you come across Grossman’s products? E.S. I had been an admirer of Grossman’s work for a few years because of its unique scale, construction and the use of asymmetrical lines. However, what really sparked my interest was the fact that virtually no-one, not design historians, collectors, or dealers, seemed to know anything about her. No-one could even say...

The matégot collection Many designers spend years developing their designs, simply to make them better and better. This was certainly not the case with Mathieu Matégot; he only devoted 10 years to his designs, yet they would later be considered iconic. Nagasaki, Kangourou, Dedal... these exotic names, could easily direct ones thoughts to a exotic terrace in Hyères Les Palmiers, or even compared with words in a globetrotters diary. Yet these are the works of a creator who was born in Hungary in 1910 and spent his entire career in France. Alongside Serge Mouille, Jean Prouve, Charlotte...

The matégot collection GUBI Design Icons COLOR VARIATIONS KANGOUROU COFFEE TABLE, DEDAL BOOKCASE & nagasaki stool Facts Born and raised in Hungary, Mathieu Matégot (1910-2001) completed his art studies in Budapest. In 1931, he moved to France and began working there as a stage designer and architect. Immediately after World War II, during which he volunteered in the French army, was subsequently captured and not released until 1944, Matégot opened his own furniture atelier in Paris. His interiors during the ‘50s for Tit Melin Airport in Morocco and for the Parisian restaurant, La Saladière...

The matégot collection The matégot collection Café interior coatrack GUBI Design Icons // page 18 GUBI Design Icons // page 19

the pedrera collection THE GROSSMAN COLLECTION For the base of both table and lamps, inspiration came from the vaulted ceilings of the very same house he was renovating GUBI Design Icons // page 22 from gaudi to gubi text // ALLAN TORP PHOTO // BJARKE JOHANSEN & KASPER SEJRSEN Gaudi undertook projects for three residential buildings in Barcelona. Amongst these were the Casa Milà, also know as La Pedrera (or, “the stone quarry” - an allusion to its exterior appearance). The building was owned by the affluent Sergimon family and was built between 1905 and 1907. La Pedrera, which proved to be...

the pedrera collection GUBI Design Icons ANA GAUDI´S CHIMNEYS // La Pedrera COLOR VARIATIONS CASA MILÁ // By Antoni Gaudi DESIGNER // Barba Corsini Barba Corsini Barba Corsini was a recognized functionalist architect (1916-2008). He was born in Tarragona and graduated from the School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1943. Corsini was best known for his interior designs, which were multidimensional and combined different colours, materials and textures. Corsini was strongly inspired by German architect, Mies van der Rohe and American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He also had a great affinity...