Trix and Robert Haussmann
designed in 1978 for Röthlisberger Kollektion
Laminated wood with olive wood veneer, the inside with colorless glass and mirror glass.
46.5 × 46.5 × 134 cm.
Manufacturer's label under the cover.

This storage pillar furniture - called "Säulenstumpf" - designed by the Zurich architect and design duo Trix (1933) and Robert Haussmann (1931-2021) for the Röthlisberger collection, is a prime example of their playful-ironic approach to famous design models from architectural history. The misappropriated Doric column pays homage to the Chicago Tribune Tower conceived by Adolf Loos in 1922, although the column's original load-bearing function is rendered absurd by its being hollowed-out. What remains is the symbolic-metaphorical content of the column's form, which - in turn - is extended by a new function, namely several integrated drawer compartments. The underlying rebellious gesture thus torpedoes the previously valid mantra: "Form follows Function".
Iconic designs by this pair of designers can be found in museum collections, most notably at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich. The "Säulenstumpf" is listed there under inventory number *1509.
Source: Museum für Gestaltung Zürich (ed.) 100 Jahre Schweizer Design, Zurich 2014, p. 258.