Organic Design

Inspired directly from the International Style, Organic Design also had its roots in Art Nouveau where the artists included the spirit of nature in their works. This design movement was pioneered by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright. Their aim was to result their works in a greater way more than all their respective parts summed up together. 

Later on artists like Alvar Aalto and Charles & Ray Eames were influenced from this style and developed their works into soft flowing forms by using natural materials as well as plastics moulded into organic forms.

                                                                                             

  43 Chaise Lounge, 1936, Alvar Aalto                                La Chaise, 1948, Charles & Ray Eames

Although Organic Design was paused in 1960, thirty years later was brought back to life and still being applied till the present days. The image below shows a piece of furniture that includes seating related to the ones by Charles and Ray Eames. The designer is not known but surely s/he experimented with the moulding of the plywood like the works of Eames' and Aalto's.

Another designer who used organic forms was Arne Jacobsen. He designed the swan and ball chair having soft flowing curves that later influenced Eero Aarnio in the 1960s and space age designs.

                                                              Swan Chair, 1957-58

                                                                  Egg Chair, 1957-58

                                                                    Ball Chair, 1963

Same as the works by Frank Lloyd Wright, organic designs should connect with the surrounding by means to bring the exterior inside and the interior outside. One of the buildings that was extraordinary in the 20th century was the organic design of the TWA airline building at JFK airport in New York designed by Eero Saarinen who previously collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on several projects. 

                                                                                

The design of this building connects with the designs of the airlines transportation in America. The completion of this building was done in 1962. In the meantime, in Australia it was being built another icon of architecture in the 20th century.

This was the Sydney Opera House that was completed in 1973. Its designer the architect Jorn Utzon, who died before the building was completed, had the same intention of Eero Saarinen, Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto; to connect the surrounding with the design of the building. In this case the Opera House is located in the Sydney harbour and thus its design connects with the sailing yachts. 

References:

Placentero. n.d. Eero Aarnio Ball Chair. [image online] Available at: http://placenterochair.com/eero-aarnio-ball-chair/ [Accessed 15th December 2013]

Anon, 2009. Egg Chair. [image online] Available at: http://zsofiberendez.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/50-eves-a-kagylo-fotel-egg-chair/ [Accessed 15th December 2013]

Fritz Hanson, 2012. Arne Jacobsen. [image online] Available at: http://www.stardustmoderndesign.com/2012/11/arne-jacobsen-egg-chair-in-light-grey.html [Accessed 15th December 2013]

Administrator, 2013. Organic Home Furniture Goes Mainstream. [image online] Available at: http://www.atedadesign.com/tag/organic-furniture [Accessed 15th December 2013]

Kathryn Wells, 2013. Sydney Opera House. [image online] Available at: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-opera-house [Accessed 15th December 2013]

dezeen, 2013. Eero Saarinen's JFK terminal to become a hotel. [image online] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/17/eero-saarinens-jfk-terminal-to-become-hotel/ [Accessed 15th December 2013]

archiproducts, 2013. 43 Lounge Chair. [image online] Available at: www.archiproducts.com/en/products/31974/wooden-lounge-chair-43-lounge-chair-artek.html [Accessed 15th December 2013]

Iraia San Miguel, 2013. Charles Eames. [image online] Available at: http://creativityofideas.blogspot.com/2013/01/charles-eames.html [Accessed 15th December 2013]