Vitra.

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/ Rolf Fehlbaum

Consequently, we do not regard homes, offices and public venues as strictly separate spaces, but as related environments. Depending on the need, we create products that are as inexpensive as our plastic chairs, or as luxurious as the Eames Lounge Chair. We also move backwards and forwards, simultaneously, on the continuum of time. While we are committed to the heritage of classics in the form of re-editions, exhibitions and publications, we promote contemporary design with equal passion. And Vitra is no less interested in ergonomics, ecology, logistics and quality assurance than in the anthropology of dwelling. In order to gain a better understanding of the realm of the interior environment and its products, I began to collect modern furniture in the early 1980s. The progressive growth of this collection led to the idea of building a museum. A vital museum, however, calls for exhibitions. To finance their production and presentation, the exhibitions would have to be so attractive that other institutions would want to show them as well. This realization eventually led to the publication of catalogues, the organization of workshops, the acquisition of archives and the creation of unique museum products. Exhibitions organized by the Vitra Design Museum now tour around the globe.

In 1981, the opportunity suddenly presented itself to incorporate architecture into the Vitra project. A major fire had destroyed most of the factory site in Weil, making it necessary to rebuild our production facilities. Nicholas Grimshaw, architect of the first new building, also designed a unified master plan for the development of the entire premises. A short time later, however, this homogenous concept was replaced by the idea of a collage, due to an encounter with Frank Gehry, and the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein thus took shape.

A present assessment of the Vitra project can only be tentative. It is a work in progress – and will continue to be so for a long time to come. Thanks to the legal status of Vitra as a family-owned enterprise, there is a good possibility that the singularity of the company can be sustained. In addition to the current building projects, we are pursuing other activities: the expansion into new markets in Asia, new models for communication and training, as well as Vitra Edition, which gives us the chance to experiment with exciting ideas.

Another such experiment is “Collage” on the website www.vitra.com. Here we want to provide those interested in design, architecture and culture with the chance to share in our thoughts on these topics. In the course of time, it will host a wide-ranging collection of articles, reports, pictures, theses and remarks. Newsletter subscriptions for the individual categories will allow interested individuals to remain informed about the latest additions of new material.