Side Chair 1936

This is a technical drawing for a side chair, by Hans Westendorff. We don't have a date for it, but Westendorff lived from 1855 to 1995. It’s a classic exercise in design, rendered with pencil on paper, showing the chair's construction. The drawing emphasizes the chair's dimensions and joinery. The design seems to focus on simple, functional forms, likely meant for mass production. The repetition of elements, the straight lines, and the standardization of components suggests a concern with efficiency and cost-effectiveness, key factors in industrial manufacturing. The chair itself would likely be made of wood, perhaps a readily available softwood like pine, reflecting a pragmatic approach to materials. The act of designing such an object speaks to the increasing role of the designer in mediating between industrial production and everyday life. It invites us to consider the labor and resources embedded within even the most humble domestic objects. And it reminds us that design and manufacturing often serve as a social leveler.