One of the greatest Dutch architects and furniture designers of all time, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld was born in 1888. His father was a carpenter who trained his son as a cabinetmaker. In 1917 Rietveld set up his own shop and by 1919, he had embarked upon a career in architecture and joined the famous ’De Stijl’ Movement, which helped define his progressive style. Rietveld’s had an avant-garde approach to all aspects of design but he focused on adapting and adjusting architecture to the ways people lived their lives, constantly seeking harmony between architecture and interior. Significant furniture pieces include the Red and Blue Chair in 1917, and the Zig Zag Chair designed in 1934. Rietveld’s mission to create well-designed and affordable furniture for the masses echoes HAY’s values, resulting in a Rietveld Originals x HAY collaboration with the relaunch of his iconic Crate series from 1934.
