Children's Table Eiermann

The Design

With the Eiermann children's table Stuttgart based furniture manufacturer Richard Lampert has realised a child version of a true furniture classic; the Eiermann table. Originally designed in 1953 Egon Eiermann's original table frame design faded into obscurity until it was rediscovered in the nineties by Richard Lampert and put into production. Today Lampert offering the Eiermann Table in different versions, including as a children's desk. The Eiermann children's desk is, like the original, made with the typical oblique cross and is available in a range of colours and sizes. The tabletop of this popular student desk is however different from the adult orientated original, being as it is attached to the base and thus a little more stable for use by robust, boisterous, children. Additional extension rods allow one to adjust the table height, which, of course, is of particular advantage in a desk which growing children will want to used for several years.

Production

Richard Lampert acquired in the 1990s the exclusive rights for the manufacturing of the Eiermann Table Frame 1, thus reviving a design concept which had been considered missing. Today, the company produces in addition to the original "Eiermann Table Frame 1" the somewhat more practical "Eiermann Table Frame 2" version as well as the Eiermann children's desk. All table bases are available in various sizes and colours, in addition Richard Lampert also supply matching table tops. The Eiermann children's desk is available with either a white or silver coloured frame and a white or blue table top.

Designer of the Eiermann frame: Egon Eiermann

The adult original: The Eiermann Table 1

Designer

Egon Eiermann was one of the most important architects of the postwar era. Born in 1904 in Neundorf, now part of modern Babelsberg Eiermann never worked on children's furniture; rather the Eiermann children's table is an evolution of an "adult" table design by Egon Eiermann. As a furniture designer Egon Eiermann greatly influenced design in post-war Germany and helped the German furniture industry achieve a global fame which it retains today. As an architect Eiermann developed numerous important and well known project, perhaps most notably the New Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, his IBM campus in Stuttgart and Frankfurt Olivetti towers. But it wasn't all praise. Especially in context of his new building of the department store chain Horten, Eiermann harvested much criticism and protest, in particular for the demolition of the Schocken department store in Stuttgart. Designed by by Erich Mendelsohn Schocken Stuttgart was considered a classic of German modernism, but Eiermann considered it unsuitable for use as a department store. And bulldozed it. Eiermann's furniture designs however are less controversial and universally acclaimed for their simplicity, strict geometry and transparent functionality. In addition to the 1953 Eiermann table frame, from which the Eiermann children's desk evolved, Egon Eiermann's chair designs from the 1950s count as his most important and popular works.

With the acquisition of licenses for the original Eiermann Table Frame 1, Richard Lampert was able in 1995 to re-release Egon Eiermann's original 1953 design. In addition to being the only licensed producer of Eiermann's original frame the Stuttgart furniture company also produces the somewhat modified Eiermann 2 frame as well as the Eiermann children's table. The Eiermann children's table is part of the Lampert "Kids Collection", a collection which is directly tailored to the needs of children. In addition to the desk the collection includes the high chair Turtle and the roll container Fixx, objects which meet Richard Lampert's aim of providing good yet affordable design. In addition to Egon Eiermann designs Lampert also distribute furniture by designers such as Peter Horn, Alexander Seifried or Marco Dessi.

Historical Context

Although Egon Eiermann studied during the 1920s, he made a conscious decision not to study at Bauhaus. His clear, functional and detailed architecture was however heavily influenced by Mies van der Rohe and is today his work is considered part of the so-called "second modernity". After the collapse of the Nazi dictatorship Egon Eiermann was able to continue his career relatively unaffected by the turmoil of political events. With his light functionalist furniture Egon Eiermann created designs which, following decades of Nazi enforced isolation, helped connect contemporary German design to design principles of the Bauhaus but much more helped the German furniture industry re-establish it global reputation.