Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888-1964) was one of the greatest Dutch architects and furniture designers of all times. Son of a carpenter, Rietveld was trained by his father as a cabinetmaker before setting up his own shop in 1917. By 1919, he had embarked upon a career in architecture and joined the ’De Stijl’ Movement, which helped define his progressive style.

Rietveld’s avant-garde approach was 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.