Legendary American architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright has entered his work-from-home era from beyond the grave, with a series of mid-century modern office desks and chairs. While Wright is best known for his beautiful prairie-style homes that invite nature indoors, he also turned his eye to furniture and décor.
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Now, American furniture manufacturer Steelcase is resurrecting some of Wright’s most iconic furniture designs. Steelcase shares a long history with Wright. In 1936, Wright was commissioned to design the Johnson Wax Administration Building within the world headquarters for S. C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin. The building was instrumental in reviving Wright’s career and is equally revered for its oversized lily pad columns that support the roof over the open working space as it is for the aesthetic and functional office furniture within it. At the time, Steelcase was responsible for manufacturing Wright’s striking furniture designs for the Johnson Wax Administrative Building and is now bringing them to life again almost a century later.
Adapted to contemporary lifestyles and modern equipment, the Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection by Steelcase comprises desks, office chairs, and lounge chairs, each retaining the singular design aesthetic set out by Wright over 80 years ago. Modifications include increasing the size of both the office desks and chairs to suit the posture and size of citizens of today, while the iconic three-legged chairs gained a fourth leg due to concerns regarding stability (read: workers at the Johnson Wax Administration Building were known to topple backwards from time to time).
The Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Desk is the undeniable pièce de résistance of the collection. A multi-level desk defined by a trio of tiered oval surfaces, it includes an integrated waste paper basket and a set of desk drawers that swivel outwards. The flagship model retains all the hallmarks of Wright’s original designs for the Johnson Wax Administration Building, while a ‘modern’ iteration allows for configurations without the draws and waste paper basket.
Unlike typical office chairs of today, the Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Guest Chair comes devoid of wheels, with its curved, organic shapes and exposed structure epitomising Wright’s notions of organic architecture. There’s also a lounge chair iteration available.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection by Steelcase collection is priced from $1,808USD to $9,750USD (for the Signature Desk) and is available via the Steelcase webstore.
Words by T. Angel
