Airworld, Design & Architecture for Air Travel
21 Jul - 05 Nov 2006
Airworld. Design and Architecture for Air Travel
21.07.06 - 5.11.06
Large overview of design in the air-world, from the beginning until today.
For more than a century air travel has appealed to the imagination. After the pioneer phase in which cold and noise were among its inconveniences, flying became a luxurious manner of travelling in which service and comfort in the atmosphere of a lounge were to put the traveller at his ease.
‘Airworld’ is assembled by the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein) and deals with architecture and design for the airline industry. The exhibition examines the period from 1919, the year in which the first scheduled flights took place, to the present. The most recent items in the show are visions of the future by today’s designers for aeroplanes and their interiors.
The status which flying has enjoyed over the decades becomes clear from the presentation. In the early years attention focused on improving the technical aspects of aeroplanes, and the design of the interiors took a subordinate role. As the years pass aviation comes to be increasingly dominated by the image of luxury.
In the 1930s designers such as the Americans Henry Dreyfuss and Walter Dorwin Teague were responsible for interiors which could be converted to sleeping berths at night, in which every detail contributed to the passenger’s ease and comfort. In those days air travel was only accessible to a limited group of travellers.
Presently the aeroplane is a popular means of transport and – partly as a result of the fares of low cost airlines – attracts a much wider range of users. As a result, the emphasis lies increasingly on greater efficiency and safety. The design of seats which take up even less space but are still comfortable, fire-retardant upholstery and plates and cups that are ultra-light and stackable are important principles for the design process.
After decades in which their appearance has changed little, with the design of the ‘blended wing-body’ (delta-shaped) passenger jet it would seem that something is finally going to change there too. As well as more room for passengers, the other great advantage is reduced fuel consumption. In this era of fierce competition, the corporate identity of the airline, which turns up in all sorts of expressions from advertising to stewardesses’ uniforms, is also a very important aspect for designers.
The work of famous designers, who in many cases have items in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, is represented here: Otl Aicher, Luigi Colani, Andries Copier, Charles Eames, Kho Liang Ie, Ross Lovegrove, Gerrit Rietveld, Eero Saarinen and Tapio Wirkkala. Included in the presentation are models of aeroplanes and terminals, design drawings, photographs, films, stewardesses’ uniforms, posters and letterhead for airline companies, aeroplane seats, cups, plates and cutlery.
This is the first time that this theme has been looked at so broadly from the perspective of design and architecture. ‘Airworld’ affords a good picture of the history of air travel, but also of the development that design and architecture has undergone, and is thus an interesting exhibition for both a general audience and design specialists.
Catalogue
The richly illustrated English-language catalogue of 252 pages is for sale in the Museum Shop for € 59,90.
Special activities
Various children’s workshops are being organised to accompany the ‘Airworld’ exhibition and a design contest for the stewards’/stewardesses’ uniform for the future, for students at the Rietveld Academy, is being organised.
In addition there will be special active family guided tours organised. Several evenings in the SMCS on 11 programme will be devoted to the exhibition and related themes. Further information will follow in June.
21.07.06 - 5.11.06
Large overview of design in the air-world, from the beginning until today.
For more than a century air travel has appealed to the imagination. After the pioneer phase in which cold and noise were among its inconveniences, flying became a luxurious manner of travelling in which service and comfort in the atmosphere of a lounge were to put the traveller at his ease.
‘Airworld’ is assembled by the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein) and deals with architecture and design for the airline industry. The exhibition examines the period from 1919, the year in which the first scheduled flights took place, to the present. The most recent items in the show are visions of the future by today’s designers for aeroplanes and their interiors.
The status which flying has enjoyed over the decades becomes clear from the presentation. In the early years attention focused on improving the technical aspects of aeroplanes, and the design of the interiors took a subordinate role. As the years pass aviation comes to be increasingly dominated by the image of luxury.
In the 1930s designers such as the Americans Henry Dreyfuss and Walter Dorwin Teague were responsible for interiors which could be converted to sleeping berths at night, in which every detail contributed to the passenger’s ease and comfort. In those days air travel was only accessible to a limited group of travellers.
Presently the aeroplane is a popular means of transport and – partly as a result of the fares of low cost airlines – attracts a much wider range of users. As a result, the emphasis lies increasingly on greater efficiency and safety. The design of seats which take up even less space but are still comfortable, fire-retardant upholstery and plates and cups that are ultra-light and stackable are important principles for the design process.
After decades in which their appearance has changed little, with the design of the ‘blended wing-body’ (delta-shaped) passenger jet it would seem that something is finally going to change there too. As well as more room for passengers, the other great advantage is reduced fuel consumption. In this era of fierce competition, the corporate identity of the airline, which turns up in all sorts of expressions from advertising to stewardesses’ uniforms, is also a very important aspect for designers.
The work of famous designers, who in many cases have items in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, is represented here: Otl Aicher, Luigi Colani, Andries Copier, Charles Eames, Kho Liang Ie, Ross Lovegrove, Gerrit Rietveld, Eero Saarinen and Tapio Wirkkala. Included in the presentation are models of aeroplanes and terminals, design drawings, photographs, films, stewardesses’ uniforms, posters and letterhead for airline companies, aeroplane seats, cups, plates and cutlery.
This is the first time that this theme has been looked at so broadly from the perspective of design and architecture. ‘Airworld’ affords a good picture of the history of air travel, but also of the development that design and architecture has undergone, and is thus an interesting exhibition for both a general audience and design specialists.
Catalogue
The richly illustrated English-language catalogue of 252 pages is for sale in the Museum Shop for € 59,90.
Special activities
Various children’s workshops are being organised to accompany the ‘Airworld’ exhibition and a design contest for the stewards’/stewardesses’ uniform for the future, for students at the Rietveld Academy, is being organised.
In addition there will be special active family guided tours organised. Several evenings in the SMCS on 11 programme will be devoted to the exhibition and related themes. Further information will follow in June.