「NEW BOOKS」 Modern Furniture ：A History NAOKI TERADA

Thonet, Corbusier, Eames, Wegner...
Learn the secrets behind the creation of masterpieces! A new product design textbook

The author's narrative is centered around the history of modern furniture, which began with the Industrial Revolution in England in the mid-18th century, and is accompanied by a wealth of diagrams and illustrations. From Thonet and Corbusier to Eames and Wegner, and even Taro Okamoto and Shiro Kuramata... This book provides an easy-to-understand, global overview of the lineage of product design, previously known only in bits and pieces. The author, with his extensive knowledge and unique designer perspective, delivers an engaging narrative that is easy to consume in one sitting. This is an essential book for anyone involved in design, serving as a newfound knowledge of design.


Contents

Introduction

1. German Simplicity
Timeline 1770s - 1930s
Topic 1 Michael Thonet and his five sons
Topic 2: Cantilever chairs born from the repurposing of industrial technology
Topic 3: The "LC Series" completed in one year
Topic 4 Germans who came to America
Topic 5: Art Deco for the Upper Class

Close-up 1: The origins of modern chairs
close-up 2 Michael Thonet and his five sons
Close-up 3: Bent steel pipe + cantilever
Close-up 4 Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret

2. American Affluence
Timeline 1900s - 1950s
Topic 1: No model change for the Ford Model T
Topic 2: The Shrewd Raymond Loewy
Topic 3 MoMA, Department Stores, and Competitions
Topic 4 Florence Knoll and her Cranbrook friends
Topic 5 Eames and Herman Miller
Topic 6 Two Wire Chairs
Topic 7 Eero Saarinen and Two Airports

Close-up 1 Designer Charles Eames
close-up 2 Architect Eero Saarinen
close-up 3 Principal Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Close-up 4 Sculptor Harry Bertoia
3. Italian Cheer
Timeline 1920s - 1970s
Topic 1 Italy under Fascism
Topic 2 Domus and the Compasso d'Oro Award
Topic 3 "Vespa" and "Fiat 500"
Topic 4: The Cheerful Castiglioni
Topic 5 Colorful New Materials
Topic 6: Postmodern Pandemics

Close-up 1: Grand Elder Gio Ponti
Close-up 2: One-piece injection-molded chair
Close-up 3 Zanotta's Challenge

4. Scandinavian Economy
Timeline 1920s – 1980s
Topic 1: Kaare Klint, the father of Danish modern design
Topic 2: Arne Jacobsen, from ashtrays to architecture
Topic 3: Sculptural Curves, Finn Juhl
Topic 4: Børge Mogensen, Klint's successor who supported the common people
Topic 5 Hans J. Wegner, the pioneer of Danish modern furniture
Topic 6: Poul Kjærholm, the uncompromising metal artist
Topic 7: Verner Panton, the colorful maverick
Topic 8: Alvar Aalto, an architect born from Finnish nature

close-up 1 Architect Arne Jacobsen1
close-up 2 architect Arne Jacobsen2
Close-up 3: Master Hans J. Wegner
close-up 4 Naturalist Alvar Aalto

5. Japanese Diligence
Timeline 1900s – 1980s
Topic 1: Sori Yanagi's wanderings through the Philippine jungle and the "shining city"
Topic 2 Dependent Houses and Postwar Furniture
Topic 3: The Extinction of the Chabudai Table and Public Housing
Topic 4: Sled Legs and Low Chair Culture
Topic 5: Taro Okamoto's rebellious furniture
Topic 6: The Tokyo Olympics and the Osaka Expo
Topic 7: Shiro Kuramata, who made his dreams come true

Close-up 1: Sori Yanagi, a symbol of postwar design
Close-up 2: The lineage of folding chairs
Close-up 3 Zero Gravity by Shiro Kuramata

Publisher Seigensha

Published 2026

Pages  288

Size 220x149mm

ISBN 978-4868310365