Steelcase reinterprets Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax Headquarters furniture with their new Racine Collection | News
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Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
Michigan-based manufacturing company Steelcase has announced the creation of the Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection, a range of furniture that pays homage to the products designed by the famous architect in 1939 for the SC Johnson Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin. Having worked with Wright to produce the furniture for the original 1939 building, Steelcase has sought to develop a new range that “reintroduces, reinterprets, and reimagines the classic furniture designs of Wright.”
Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
Wright’s relationship with Steelcase began with the Johnson Wax Headquarters in 1939 and has continued through 1985 with their ongoing stewardship of Wright’s Meyer May House in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For their latest endeavor, Steelcase is collaborating with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to launch reintroductions of iconic furniture by Wright, as well as create newly authored designers inspired by Wright’s principles.
Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
The projects are being informed by a study of the Foundation’s archives, as well as a reflection on Wright’s advocacy for organic architecture: “to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give rhyme, reason, and meaning to life.”
Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Modern Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
Reinterpreting the original line of furniture for the Johnson Wax Headquarters, Steelcase’s Racine Collection includes new desk sizes that feature broader dimensions and proportions, as well as an expanded material palette to offer more design variety. The collection also includes new objects such as a lounge chair in order to broaden the collection’s social and lifestyle applications.
Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
“Merging beauty and function in his philosophy of organic architecture, Wright’s unique furniture for the SC Johnson building’s Great Workroom pioneered a new way to work,” the company explains. “Our reintroduction of these pieces in the Signature collection closely captures the spirit and unforgettable look of his designs. We’ve faithfully matched the style and finishes of the original furniture, implementing only subtle adjustments to the collection’s proportions and scale to support modern users.”
Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase
News of the collection comes weeks after the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation collaborated with artist David Romero on the production of 3D images depicting unbuilt skyscrapers designed by Wright.
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