Hille (furniture)
 | |
 Former Hille headquarters in North Watford | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Furniture design & manufacturing |
| Founded | 1906 in London, UK |
| Founder | Salamon Hille |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Robin Day, Fred Scott, Richard Snell, David Rowe |
| Products |
|
| Website | www |
Hille (/ˈhɪli/ HIL-ee} is a British Modern furniture manufacturer which is especially noted for its range of Modernist chairs. Its products have been influential in the history of interior design and the company has been engaged internationally in a number of major design projects, including furnishings for the Royal Festival Hall and Gatwick Airport. A number of prominent furniture designers have worked for Hille, including Robin Day and Fred Scott.
History
The company was founded in 1906 by Salamon Hille in London's East End.[1]
The Hille furniture business was transformed when Salomon's granddaughter
In 1951, Hille moved from its premises in Hainault to a former brewery building in Watford, Hertfordshire. As the company found success it began to expand, and in 1961 it opened a new showroom and office building at its North Watford premises, Hille House, a noted example of Brutalist architecture by the noted architect Ernő Goldfinger.[3][1]
Robin Day designed a novel chair name Hillestack which used laminated wood and the stackable chairs became popular for public buildings.[2] The partnership with Day was very successful and in 1952 the Hille company set up showrooms in Mayfair where their modernist furniture could be displayed. Here they could host architects and interior designers. They won important contracts to supply prestige offices in London and the contract for the furniture for, what would become, Heathrow Airport. By 1953 Hille had five showrooms in Britain and another in Grenoble.
In 1958 they designed the furniture for
Fred Scott designed the Supporto seating system in 1979. Meanwhile, they won contracts for British embassies, the Istanbul Hilton and the
The family stopped being involved in furniture in 1983 when they sold the business. Leslie Julius died in 1989.
Today, Hille's core business is designing and manufacturing sports
Gallery
-
Hillestak chair (Robin Day, 1951) early version showing original leg joint -
Royal Festival Hall lounge chairs (Robin Day, 1951) -
Reclining chair (Robin Day, 1952) -
Hille polypropylene chair (Robin Day, 1963) -
Polyprop stacking chairs in original colours (charcoal, light grey and flame red) (Robin Day, 1964) -
Hille polypropylene armchair with ski base (1967), designed by Robin Day
,_Robin_Day,_Hille,_1964.jpg)
See also
- Modern furniture
- Alessi
- American Furniture Warehouse
- Art Van
- BoConcept
- Duravit
- Habitat
- IKEA
- Kartell
- Ligne Roset
- Vitra
References
- ^ a b "History of Hille". Hille. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b c Richard Snell, ‘Julius, Rosamind (1923–2010)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Jan 2014 accessed 24 Sept 2015
- ^ "Hille House and Business Centre". North Watford History Group. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ "The people's chair". The Guardian. 13 March 1999. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ "Robin Day Polyside and Armchair". hille.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Barry, Sion (11 February 2012). "Stadium seat maker plans to create 25 new jobs after move to Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "New Hille formed in Ebbw Vale | Commercial News Media". Commercial News Media. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
External links
- Grigor, Murray; Shams, Hamid. Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day (video). Design Onscreen. Retrieved 12 January 2018 – via Vimeo.
- "Supporto Chair by Fred Scott". London: Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- "The Q Rod chair by Robin Day". London: Victoria and Albert Museum. 10 March 1960. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- "Polypropylene Chair (Mark II) by Robin Day". London: Victoria and Albert Museum. 10 March 1964. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- "Chairs – 1960s". London: Design Museum. Retrieved 12 January 2018.