George Nelson Ball Clock

Founded in 1950, Vitra is a Swiss company dedicated to improving the quality of homes, offices and public spaces through the power of design.

Vitra's furniture and concepts are developed in an intensive design process pairing engineering excellence with the creative genius of leading international designers. The result: interiors, furniture and accessories that are vibrant, functional, and inspiring.

Longevity of materials, construction and aesthetics are Vitra's leading principles, as demonstrated by their Classics – many in continuous production since the 1950s. Initiatives like the Vitra Campus architecture, the Vitra Design Museum, workshops, publications, collections and archives are all integral elements of Vitra's vision and culture.

George Nelson, born 1908 in Hartford, Connecticut, studied architecture at Yale University and was a fellow at the American Academy in Rome from 1932-34. In Europe he became acquainted with the protagonists and major architectural works of modernism.

Nelson joined the editorial staff of Architectural Forum in 1935, where he was employed until 1944. A programmatic article on residential building and furniture design he wrote attracted the attention of D.J. DePree, head of the furniture company Herman Miller, who then recruited him to become design director at Herman Miller. Remaining there until 1972, Nelson became a key figure of American design, also convincing Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Girard to work for Herman Miller.

Nelson's collaboration with Vitra began in 1957. From 1946 onwards Nelson also ran his own design office, creating numerous products that are now regarded as icons of mid-century modernism.

His classic works include the Coconut Chair (1956), Marshmallow Sofa (1956), Ball Clock (1947), Bubble Lamps (starting in 1952) and Action Office (1964). Nelson was not only a successful designer but also an acclaimed writer and editor, lecturer, exhibition designer and passionate photographer. In his many essays on design, he was one of the most prominent voices among his peers in reflecting on the working conditions, duties and objectives of his profession at a time when the field and its image were still in the formative years.

Nelson’s conception of design as a system, his approach that went beyond mere styling and always took into consideration the greater nexus of interrelated interests and concerns, as well as his achievements in the teaching of design, make him particularly relevant in today’s context. Nelson's archive belongs to the holdings of the Vitra Design Museum.