O-9107

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chair (swivel)

Swivel chair

This executive swivel chair in cream-coloured leather on a chrome-plated base was part of a set of furniture and accessories provided for the prime minister’s Langevin Block office by Arthur Erickson Architects in 1970. The chair was manufactured by Knoll and supplied by Nienkämper International Inc., which in 1974 became the company’s licensed manufacturer in Canada. The interior designer on the project for the office was Francisco Kripacz. Kripacz created the interiors for Erickson’s major buildings, including Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was known for the elegant simplicity of his interiors and his affection for suede and leather upholstery, tubular steel frames, polished metal surfaces, and stone tabletops.

Arthur Erickson

Architect Arthur Erickson was born in Vancouver in 1924. He originally intended to enter Canada’s diplomatic service but set his sights on architecture after encountering the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He graduated from the McGill School of Architecture with honours and awards in 1950. He and fellow architect Geoffrey Massey won a competition to design Simon Fraser University in 1963, and the project brought them international recognition.

Erickson was a proponent of modernist architecture, which is known for placing emphasis on the choice and placement of materials and the relationship between building and landscape. The Museum of Anthropology (1977) in Vancouver is sometimes cited as his masterwork. He also designed Roy Thompson Hall (1982) in Toronto and the Canadian Embassy (1989) in Washington, D.C.

In 1981, Erickson was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He received gold medals from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1984 and the American Institute of Architects in 1986. After financial troubles led him to declare bankruptcy in 1992, he continued to work as an associate with other architecture firms. Erickson died in Vancouver in 2009.

Arthur Erickson

Architect Arthur Erickson was born in Vancouver in 1924. He originally intended to enter Canada’s diplomatic service but set his sights on architecture after encountering the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He graduated from the McGill School of Architecture with honours and awards in 1950. He and fellow architect Geoffrey Massey won a competition to design Simon Fraser University in 1963, and the project brought them international recognition.

Erickson was a proponent of modernist architecture, which is known for placing emphasis on the choice and placement of materials and the relationship between building and landscape. The Museum of Anthropology (1977) in Vancouver is sometimes cited as his masterwork. He also designed Roy Thompson Hall (1982) in Toronto and the Canadian Embassy (1989) in Washington, D.C.

In 1981, Erickson was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He received gold medals from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1984 and the American Institute of Architects in 1986. After financial troubles led him to declare bankruptcy in 1992, he continued to work as an associate with other architecture firms. Erickson died in Vancouver in 2009.