Even if you’ve never heard of David Rowland before reading this, I’m sure you’ve heard of his iconic 40/4 chair. The simple, stackable chair has been seen everywhere from MoMa to convention centers to the SCAD student center.
The iconic name comes from the fact that they are able to stack 40 high, in a four foot space. Designed in his own time in the 1950′s, Rowland did not gain recognition for the chairs until they had lain dormant for about eight years. It wasn’t until 17,000 chairs were needed for a space in the University of Chicago that he was catapulted into fame.
Read the rest of his obit here on the New York Times. RIP, David Rowland.
