Jordi Vilanova i Bosch

JORDI VILANOVA I BOSCH (Barcelona, 1925–1998).
“Calella” Bench, 1965.
Beech wood.
In very good condition.
Measurements: 80 x 196 x 50 cm; 45 cm (seat height).
Bench designed by Jordi Vilanova i Bosch in 1965, part of one of the most representative series of his work during the 1960s. The “Calella” model embodies the principles that defined the designer’s work: structural clarity, excellence in woodworking, and a contemporary interpretation of Catalan artisanal tradition.
A Catalan interior designer and cabinetmaker, Jordi Vilanova enrolled in 1939 at the School of Artistic Crafts and Trades at La Lonja. He completed his training at the Busquets workshop, and between 1940 and 1953 he worked at Lluís Gili’s studio. Jordi Vilanova was the founder and promoter of the Catalan art magazine *Questions d’Art* (1967–74). In 1974, he opened a showroom featuring a permanent exhibition of furniture and upholstery of his own design, becoming a member of the Official Association of Decorators and Interior Designers of Barcelona and the SAD. His modern furniture and his approach to designing spaces were initially aimed at a broad public with limited financial resources and, consequently, homes with less living space. However, this vast majority did not understand his vision. Instead, it was the Catalan bourgeoisie, eager to break with outdated stylistic conventions, that embraced his work. He specialized in children’s furniture, such as the Delta stool, which won the Silver Delta Award presented by the ADI/FAD in 1964. He held exhibitions of his work in the Scandinavian countries. Among his most representative designs are the Tiracord and Billar chairs (1961), the Montseny MP bunk bed (1961), the Tartera (1966) and Petit (1978) rocking chairs, and the Z magazine rack (1987)—the latter designed in collaboration with his son, Pau Vilanova Vila-Abadal. His work is currently on display at the Barcelona Design Museum.