Take a Seat in Weil am Rhein
The City of Chairs
Chair and table-these are the first objects to appear
when we settle into a new place. We greet our guests with
the invitation to "take a seat."
In Weil am Rhein, this is no empty phrase, but part of a new
cultural identity.
Lassù - Alessandro Mendini
In 1989, the Vitra company inaugurated a museum designed by
Frank O. Gehry to house its extensive chair collection,
which has since become one of the largest and most
significant design collections world-wide. The architectural
park on the premises of the Vitra production site, including
not only Gehry's masterpiece but also buildings by such
renowned architects as Tadao Ando, Nicholas Grimshaw, Zaha
Hadid, and Alvaro Siza, has brought about a transformation
of the image and identity of this historical railroad city
in the Dreiländereck, the corner where France, Switzerland
and Germany meet.
Design is an integral aspect of life in Weil am Rhein. More
than 20 retailers, restaurants, and businesses already
identify with the motto "City of Chairs." Such support finds
expression in the presence of oversized designer chairs (in
a scale ranging from 1.5:1 to 8:1) on numerous roofs and in
city plazas.
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