Flat-roofed villas that blend feather-light into the landscape. Glass walls that blur the boundary between inside and outside. Elegant people lounging carefree by the pool. Can you picture it? Then you are probably familiar with the photographs by Julius Shulman and Slim Aarons, which showcase the iconic buildings of architect Richard J. Neutra.
What is less well known is that this pioneer of modern American architecture also designed furniture for his houses. Armchairs, sofas and tables that are so inviting and timeless that they still inspire us today – and to which we at VS have paid tribute with our own collection: the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS.
California calls you!
Who was this Richard J. Neutra, who not only had a decisive influence on modern American architecture, but also on South American school buildings and German post-war architecture? He built prestigious villas and museums, but also affordable student residences and housing estates, for example in rural northern Germany.
Born in Vienna in 1892, Richard Neutra studied under Adolf Loos, was assistant to Erich Mendelsohn and moved to the USA at the age of 31. There he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, among others, until 1925, when – allegedly inspired by the advertising slogan ‘California Calls You!’ – he moved to the West Coast and settled in Los Angeles. There, the ambitious young immigrant quickly rose to become one of the most influential architects of Californian modernism and one of the most important representatives of the ‘International Style’. Today, the architect, who died in 1970, is considered one of the greats of architectural history.
A properly designed house is not just a static shell — it is a reflection of the natural world around it, and as such, it provides constant refreshment for the soul.
Richard Neutra
More than just beautiful
Richard Neutra was a creative designer and innovative in his use of new methods and materials. But he was by no means interested only in the beautiful appearance of his buildings; no, he first gathered detailed information about the habits and needs of the future residents and meticulously tailored his plans to them. And that's not all: the architect was equally concerned with the natural environment of his buildings. Although his houses are cubic and angular, they are embedded almost weightlessly in carefully modelled landscape gardens and offer views of the outdoors through movable glass panes that often cover entire walls.
Let's take a look at two legendary buildings by Richard Neutra: the Lovell Health House (1929) and the Kaufmann Desert House (1947).
Richard Neutra had not been in the United States for long when, in 1927, he received an order that would make him internationally famous: the Lovell Health House in Los Angeles. The building was to house Leah Lovell's progressive school and was completed in 1929. What a success! The three-storey house blends into the green hills of Los Angeles with equal parts lightness and boldness, and aesthetically follows the principles of the International Style. At the same time, it caused a sensation with its technical innovations: the steel skeleton construction and large windows made of prefabricated elements, as well as the use of sprayed concrete, reflect Richard Neutra's interest in industrial production.
And the Lovell Health House caused a sensation: in 1932, it was part of the much-acclaimed ‘Modern Architecture’ exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which retrospectively defined the International Style. The house is also known as the setting for several Hollywood film productions, including ‘L.A. Confidential’.
Kaufmann Desert House
.One of Richard Neutra's most famous buildings – and one of the icons of modern American architecture – is the Kaufmann Desert House on the edge of a desert near Palm Springs, California. Designed in 1946 for department store magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann, the house was ready for occupancy in 1947. Here, too, Neutra used glass, steel, wood and stone to create a vision of lightness, carefully designing the dialogue with the barren surroundings. One of the innovations Neutra introduced was narrow vertical slats to keep out the heat of the desert without obstructing the view of the outdoors.
The fame and mystique of the Kaufmann House was further enhanced by the atmospheric black and white photographs taken by architectural photographer Julius Shulman and the society photos taken by Slim Aarons – but also by a long series of changes of ownership, which culminated in a record auction price of 16.84 million US dollars in 2008, a sale that did not go through in the end.
Seating for reading, lounging, living
Anyone who devotes as much attention to their projects as Richard Neutra does not stop at the furnishings. Richard Neutra designed several armchairs, sofas and tables that matched the lifestyle of the residents and still impress today with their elegance, functionality and comfort. Do they impress you too? At VS, we are very proud to be able to exclusively manufacture and distribute these individual pieces and small series. We developed the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS together with Dion Neutra, the son of Richard Neutra.
We present some of the characteristic furniture below; the complete collection can be found here.
Lovell Easy Chair + Ottoman
Thick leather cushions in dramatic contrast to a delicate, dynamically curved frame: Richard Neutra designed the Lovell Easy Chair and matching footstool (ottoman) for the Lovell Health House. The design, which did not go into production in 1929, envisaged a wooden frame and has now been realised for the first time for the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS with a tubular steel frame.
Alpha Seating
Time for a little reading? Richard Neutra also designed an armchair, a two-seater sofa and a three-seater sofa for the Lovell Health House, which are now part of the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS and were originally intended to create reading corners. The seating furniture in the Alpha Seating line is strictly cubic and at the same time asymmetrical. Thick cushions invite you to linger in an angular body made of fine wood.
Boomerang Chair
You have definitely seen it before: the Boomerang Chair from the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS has long since become a design classic. Richard Neutra designed it in the 1940s as a casual piece of furniture in different versions. Originally, the chair was intended for a residential project for shipyard workers in San Pedro, California.
The version offered by VS went into production in 1951, with the original model having been carefully revised in detail by Neutra's son Dion. The basic elements of the frame are boomerang-shaped rounded wooden parts, which touch the floor at the tips and are connected with a plug-in construction. Parallel straps form the seat and backrest, while seat and head cushions ensure comfort.
Curious about other modern classics in the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS?
Lovell Easy Chair + Ottoman
This version of the Lovell Easy Chair was designed by Neutra in 1929 for the Lovell Health House in Los Angeles, but not actually manufactured at the time. Up until a short while ago the design existed only as a drawing. Created now for the very first time from the architect’s original drawing, the chair is in the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS; its slim and dynamic steel frame points clearly to its potential to be a modern classic.
Alpha Seating
The chair and two or three-seater sofa are based on Neutra’s designs for Lovell Health House. Neutra developed the Alpha Seating in strictly cubic form – but it is asymmetrical to create inviting places for reading in his houses. Balanced in its dimensions, this seating is pure elegance.
Boomerang Chair
The Boomerang Chair has long been iconic: It was designed by Neutra in the 1940s in different versions as easy furniture for projects including the Channel Heights housing development, Nesbitt House (pictured) and Logar House. The sweeping side pieces and straight oak rounded poles in combination with webbing are a hallmark of the era.
"Put people in touch with nature – that is where they have developed and that is where they especially feel at home."
Richard Neutra
Richard Neutra made his mark not only through numerous buildings, but also through lecture tours and programmatic books, including ‘How to Build in America’ (1927), ‘If We Want to Live’ (1954) and ‘Building Close to Nature’ (1970). The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design (neutra.org) foundation, established in 1962, continues to carry Neutra's legacy around the world: it sees climate protection as a task and, in the spirit of its founder, promotes creative research and design that serves people and the environment.
In 1959, on the initiative of Federal President Theodor Heuss, Richard J. Neutra received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his contribution to architecture in post-war Germany. The award is one of many others that have honoured Neutra's work.
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Stefan Behnisch
Aesthetic, functional, yet uncompromisingly sustainable: the name of architect Stefan Behnisch is a byword for architecture that conserves resources and makes people feel comfortable. What is less well-known is the fact that he has also created furniture systems that are so timelessly appealing and flexible that they last for decades - whether in the German Bundestag or on the other side of the Atlantic.
Jürgen Greubel
The engineer Jürgen Greubel is known for his linear and restrained design. Our design partner creates products with function to the fore. Today, his creations are collectors’ pieces; his focus is on electrically powered utilitarian objects. With VS he creates table systems that can be intelligently incorporated into modern offices and conference rooms. At the same time, they can be individually adapted to your needs. Fall for the clear structures and read more about our design partner Jürgen Greubel.
David A Stubbs II
How do classrooms become inspiring learning environments with maximum flexibility? The American David A Stubbs II has been pondering this question for a long time. His passion is to enhance schools by fostering creativity, health, and well-being. And the path to this is through vibrant, modular furniture that maximizes the potential of every space. This is not only desks and chairs, but also cupboards, platforms – and even a tent.
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