Gloucester Chair
George Sowden
Production Memphis Milano
Chair designed by George Sowden for Memphis Milano, 1986.
Made from polished wood, Gloucester introduces a compact, architectural note into the Memphis vocabulary. Its rounded form, curved lines and almost symmetrical construction recall certain early twentieth-century chairs, reinterpreted through a postmodern lens with a freer, more decorative sensibility. The name refers to Gloucester, the city where George Sowden studied architecture in the 1960s, turning a biographical reference into part of the project’s identity. Rare and highly distinctive, the chair retains the cultured yet playful character of Memphis’s 1980s production.
Design: 1986
Dimensions: W 55 × D 50 × H 90 cm
George Sowden
Born in Leeds in 1942 and active in Milan since 1970, George Sowden is a British designer and one of the key figures in international design since the 1980s. Co-founder of the Memphis movement in 1981, Sowden has developed a practice spanning industry, self-production, and formal experimentation. His work ranges from mass-produced items to more artisanal objects, maintaining a direct and pragmatic approach to design. Sowden conceives design as an everyday tool, capable of combining functionality, color, and accessibility, while adapting to diverse cultural and production contexts.
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