Design

Before an industrial method for aluminium production was discovered, it was so rare and precious that there was a time when it was more expensive than gold. It is not surprising that aluminium was first used for jewellery and other luxury articles.

One of the first ‘aluminium jewellers’ was Honore-Severin Bourdoncle. From 1855-1860, he worked at the court of Napoleon III and created, in particular, an aluminium rattle for the Crown Prince and several ornate goblets and bracelets. A Dane, Jorgen Balthasar Dalhoff used aluminium to create ceremonial crowns for the King Frederick VIII and the Prince Ferdinand.

Jewelers liked this shining silvery metal due to its exceptional flexibility. The material, which is nowadays used to produce cars and cans, was combined with gold and other precious metals, polished and covered with pictures. Even when the metal became cheaper it was still used to create jewellery. Rene Lalique once made a diadem, where aluminium was decorated with ivory and garnets.

The inexpensive method of producing aluminium, discovered by Hall and Heroult in 1886, changed this metal’s role in everyday life. At the turn of the century the new material left the court chambers and started to appear in the streets. A non-corrosive metal was very well-suited for city, park and garden sculptures. The most celebrated British sculptor of the end of the 19th century, Sir Alfred Gilbert, made the famous statue, Eros, from aluminium, which can be found in Piccadilly Circus and is a key London landmark.

In the 1920s and 1930s metal furniture became very popular. Though it was not appreciated in the Old World, Americans considered it to be a very attractive metal. Warren McArthur was among the first to develop aluminium tube furniture. Initially it was intended for use in offices, but later became popular in homes of Hollywood stars such as Marlene Dietrich.

At the National Exhibition in Switzerland in 1939, where aluminium was widely represented, a Landi chair made of perforated aluminium and designed by Hans Coray was shown. This ordinary chair, intended for outdoor use is produced to this day, with only slight changes. Moreover, it has become a symbol of Swiss style and a bright example of ‘aluminium design.’

Aluminium lighting fixtures, which have become an important element of modern minimalist interiors, also spring from the pre-war period. Jacques Le Chevallier made several aluminium lamps, the most outstanding of which is called Chistera.

In the 1930s, a number of designer artworks made of aluminium appeared, which became cult items and are still produced today. These include the Moka Express coffee maker by Alfonso Bialetti and tableware by Russel Wright, which is still considered highly stylish.

During the war, aluminium was used in the defense industry as it ended, again became part of everyday life. At the start of the 1950s, during the rise of mass consumption, aluminium articles were associated with a new and optimistic lifestyle. Foldable chairs made of aluminium tubes and nylon appeared in yards and gardens, while drink cans made of bright anodized aluminium were seen on tables. An effective example of combining practicality and aesthetic features were chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames which were installed, in particular, at John Wayne Airport, California.

Aluminium has played different roles in various industrial designs over the last decade. On one hand, it is perfectly suited for retro style, reminiscent of the 1930s, on the other hand, it is associated with the future and highly developed technologies.

Aibo, a well-known Japanese robot dog, is made with aluminium. Modern cars with streamlined bodies are made almost entirely of aluminium.

Today, simplicity and clean lines are in demand and Aluminium perfectly suits this style. It can be used in its pure form or combined with wood, plastic, or glass. Modern designers have created aluminium products which have also become cult objects and have been shown at the modern art exhibitions. These include the La Cupola coffee machine by Aldo Rossi, the Hot Bertaa tea-pot by Philippe Starck, the Lockheed Lounge sofa by Mark Newsom, the Titania lamp by Alberto Meda and Paolo Rizzatto, the Tom Vac chair made of aluminium and stainless steel by Ron Arad and many other impressive designs. In central Milan, Arad created a ten metre-high sculpture from Tom Vac chairs.

Aluminium has also been used on the catwalk. At the end of the 1960s, Paco Rabanne presented a collection of metal mini-dresses, which subsequently became his trademark. His show in 1999 shone with aluminium disc dresses. Salvatore Ferragamo once created elegant bags made from the metal, and Oscar de la Renta made aluminium swimsuits. Issey Miyake used foil in his ‘clothes of the future’ as part of his Starburst winter collection in 1998. However, aluminium is not only used in haute couture, but many women have lurex clothes made of aluminium foil and plastic.

It is interesting that not only professional designers from industrial countries, but also African craftsmen choose aluminium. Since the 1930s, when France started to export aluminium to its colonies, designers in Benin, Kenya, and Ghana started to make not only aluminium jewellery , but furniture as well.

For more than one hundred years aluminium has been providing designers with the freedom of self-expression, and the consumer the opportunity to admire beautiful articles.