Jules Wabbes: Furniture Designer (2012)

Exhibition catalogue, BOZAR Brussels; published by BOZAR Books & A+ in 2012. Our copy is new and in perfect condition. Jules Wabbes (1919-1974) is known as one of the most important Belgian furniture designers of the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to the use of high-quality materials such as tropical hardwoods, bronze, and stainless steel, his creations are characterized by a highly technical approach to design, featuring sophisticated details and strict dimensions. His designs invariably follow a logical structural composition, often with steel feet supporting wooden elements. As a result, we can regard his furniture designs as small architectural objects. It is not surprising that this is due to his collaboration with architect Andre Jacqmain, with whom he shared a design practice from 1951 to 1961. The most famous work they designed together was the Foncolin Building in Brussels, which was demolished in 2001. The strict modular structure of the building was extended to the office furniture that Wabbes perfected during those years. These designs have all become classics and fetch high prices at international design auctions; moreover, a number of his designs have recently been put back into production.