MID CENTURY MODERN DESIGN

1. MID CENTURY ERA
DESIGN
1945-1970
Aahuti Prajapati

2. EMERGENCE OF
THE DESIGN
ERA…
Mid century era was a
design movement after
World war II.
This era made a drastic
change in design world.
The design world
included interiors,
product design,
architecture, graphics
design, and urban
planning.
Mid century era started
in 1965 and continued
till late 1970s.
Mid century movement took place majorly in America
where many of the architects gave their major
contribution in design field.

3. GOAL BEHIND
THE
EMERGENCE…
The main reason behind
mid century movement
was to bring modernism
into America by
expanding and
transforming into
suburbs.
Bauhaus style
had a huge
influence to the
mid century
modern style.
The form was
more organic
than the
international
style or the
Bauhaus style.
Many of the
German
architects
migrated to
America because
of the changes in
Germany and
increasing
opportunities in
the United
States.
After the industrial
revolution, people wanted to
bring modernism into their
design.
People wanted
to explore new
techniques,
technology, new
materials, etc.
They wanted to
uplift the
technology by
experimenting
and doing new
inventions.

4. ArneJacobsonHarry Bertoia
Isamu NoguchiEillenGray CharlesandRayEamesGeorgeNelson
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS…
Eero Saarinen

5. CHARACTERISTICS
OF INTERIOR
DESIGN…
• FORM FOLLOWED FUNCTION.
• FUNCTIONALITY WAS MORE IMPORTANT.
• SIMPLE, STRAIGHT AND SLEEK LINES WERE
USED.
• LEAST ORNAMENTATION
• ORGANIC AND GEOMETRIC LINES WITH
LEAST ORNAMENTATION.
• EXPERIMENTATION ON ALL TYPES OF
MATERIALS.
• TEXTILES USED WERE LEATHER, NYLON,
ACRYLIC, COW HIDE, GOAT HIDE, ETC.
• MATERIALS USED WEWE STEEL, GLASS,
CONCRETE, STUCCO, WOOD, ETC.

6. NOTABLE
FURNITURE…
EGG CHAIR, 1958
EAMES LOUNGE CHAIR, 1956
NOGUCHI TABLE, 1947 TULIP CHAIR,
1955
THE DIAMOND CHAIR, 1952
COMPREHENSIVE STORAGE UNIT

7. NOTABLE INTERIOR DESIGN
PROJECTS…
Esherick HouseBoomer Residence
Kaufmann House
Farnsworth House

8. EGG CHAIR BY ARNE
JACOBSON, 1958
• Egg chair is designed by Arne Jacobson who was
a Danish Architect and designer.
• Designed for Radisson SAS Hotel
in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• The chair is inspired by “Womb chair” designed
by Eero Saarinen.
• It worked like a couch.
• The problem with the couch was the fabric, it
was too big to cover it with two cow hides which
can make the stitching visible in between.
• Later, the problem was solved by using
upholstery fabric instead of cow hides.
• It was also used by Mac Donald’s and also
featured in recently renovated San Francisco airport
terminal.
Materials:
Steel frame
Fabric cover
Dimensions:
34”x37”x42”

9. TULIP CHAIR BY
EERO
SAARINEN,
1956
• Tulip chair is designed by Eero Saarinen who was a Finnish
American architect and an industrial designer. He was
awarded for designing the Tulip chair.
• It was designed for Knoll company (a company of New York)
which produces mainly furniture.
• The reason behind producing this chair was to match a chair
with dining table which was complementary.
• It was one of the remarkable piece of furniture especially for
industrial design in that era.
• According to Saarinen, he didn’t want to clutter the chair
and make it bad looking and confusing by giving it lot of
unrestful legs, he wanted to make it everything in one to
make it look unique.
cast aluminum base
nylon 11 coated finish
fiberglass and reinforced plastic finish
upholstered foam cushion
with removable Velcro
fastening
Dimension:
56”x53”x80”

10. NOGUCHI TABLE BY
ISAMU NOGUCHI, 1947
• Noguchi coffee table was designed by Isamu
Noguchi, a Japanese American industrial
designer and artist.
• It became one of the most successful and iconic
design for Herman miller.
• It was designed in United States by the concept
of biomorphism, which means naturally
occurring patterns.
• It was made for company named Herman Miller
in 1957, where the table was described as
"sculpture-for-use" and "design for production“
in the catalog.
• The top is a heavy glass plate on a sculpture type
of base made of walnut with two parts, one is
inverted and the other is attached to it by pivot
rod maing it stable and strong to stand and take
the weight of the glass top.
Ebonized walnut
Heavy plate Glass top
Dimensions :
50’’x36’’x16’’

11. EAMES LOUNGE CHAIR BY CHARLES AND RAY
EAMES, 1956
• Eames lounge chair is designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller
company which produces furniture.
• It is divided in two parts, one is chair and one is Ottoman.
• The inspiration was taken by the traditional English club chair.
• He proposed three curved plywood shells that is seat, headrest and backrest
which was covered with veneer.
• The three layers were glued by method of pressure and heating.
• The seat cushions and shells are of same shape, having an interlocking
system.
• The width of the seat, ottoman, backrest and head rest is the same.
• It has cast aluminium base.
• It has leather upholstery.
Dimensions :
32.75’’x32.75x15’’

12. ESHERICK HOUSE, UNITED
STATES, 1961
• Designed by Louis Kahn.
• He was an American architect and one of the most
influential architects of mid century.
• He did iconic and remarkable work in designing this
house especially in special organization and
ventilation.
• He designed the house by considering the climate.
He designed windows in such a way that it get
natural light and ventilation.
• The all over exterior is finished by stucco plaster.
• The windows have different levels, vertically and
horizontally.
• Few are flushed with exterior walls, few are deeply
inserted in the walls.

13. Double height living room with
fireplace.Utility room converted into kitchen.
Wooden flooring with warm tones.
Dining with vintage
chandelier and downlights
to brighten the space more. Bathtub placed next
to the fireplace.

14. PLAN
CENTRAL LOBBY
STAIRCASE
LOUNGE AREA
FIREPLACE
SECTION

15. FARNSWORTH HOUSE, 1945-1951
• Designed by Ludwing Meis Van der
Rohe.
• Made up of eight L - shaped steel
columns that can support roof and floor
frameworks and was designed for more
lightness.
• Designed as weekend getaway.
Located in Plano, Illinois, Chicago downtown.
Area:1500 sq feet

16. The central part is made up
of marine grade ply and
Primavera wood which
conceals the bathroom and
closet, bedroom, a narrow
kitchen, and living space.
The furniture is made by
wood, veneer, Shantung
fabric and metal.
He used furniture like
Barcelona chair, lounge
chair, etc.

17. BOOMER RESIDENCE,
1947-1952
• Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
• It’s a small house or a cottage.
• Made up of rubble stone masonry.
Located in Arizona.

18. Equilateral parallelogram diamond forming in the wooden and
glass ceilings.
Diamond shaped windows.
The wooden balcony is protruded outside the concrete wall.
fireplaces and bathrooms on lower and upper floors.
Perforated light screen is given to allow the natural light to
enter inside the building.
Red desert stone is set in concrete masonry was given to the
fireplaces and bathrooms on lower and upper floors.
There are open beams in the red wood beams.

20. Perforated light screens added
in the dining and work space.
Redwood cabinets are given.
‘Cherokee Red" concrete floor is given.
Built - in lighting is installed in
the wooden open beams.
Mitered glass is used and inbuilt
shelves are installed.

21. KAUFMANN
DESERT
HOUSE, 1946
• Designed by architect Richard Neutra.
• Located in Palm springs in California.
• Most important example of
International style.
• It is a five bedroom and five washroom
weekend house.
• The master bed room and living room is
next to the patio having a large glass
opening with a slider.
• Movable vertical fins are installed in the
major rooms to protect the house by the
sandstorms and harsh heat.
• The living room and dining room are
square and combined located in the
central part of the house.

22. FLOOR PLAN

23. • Air conditioning was
concealed by wood which
meets plaster used on
ceiling.
• The ducting is done
beneath the floor.
• He used stone masonary
on the columns.
• He gave wooden dining
table with steel and
wooden chairs having a
modern carpet under it.
He gave a ‘gloriette’, an
outdoor room which had
movable aluminium louvers
protecting the house from
desert conditions.
He tried to give a cooling
solution by adding the
swimming pool.

24. REFERENCES
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-century_modern
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House
• http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Boomer_Residen
ce.html
• http://www.steinerag.com/flw/Artifact%20Pages/PhRtS361.
htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Esherick_House
• https://philly.curbed.com/2018/2/20/16956130/louis-kahn-
esherick-house-tour-savidge-macey
• https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/esherick-house/
• http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Esherick_House.
html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(chair)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_chair
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noguchi_table
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eames_Lounge_Chair
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaufmann_Desert_House
• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Richard-Neutra-
Kaufmann-Desert-House-Palm-Springs-1946-1947-Plan-
Published-in_fig3_328754392
• https://www.dwell.com/article/kaufmann-house-richard-
neutra-8520af09