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M A X B I L L

Max Bill was a Swiss architect, graphic designer,

painter, sculptor and product designer who creat-

ed an impressive array of minimalist works during

his lifetime. In addition to iconic clocks, watches,

and other design objects, Bill designed buildings

as well as numerous sculptures and paintings in

his pure, refined style.

Max Bill was born in 1908 in Winterthur, Switzer-

land. He initially trained as a silversmith at the

School of Applied Art in Zurich. Then he went on

to study at the Bauhaus in Dessau and from 1929

he began working in Zurich as an architect, paint-

er, graphic artist and sculptor. Bill's output during

this period was dominated by painting, which

ranged from landscape paintings and portraits, to

geometric and constructivist abstractions. In

1932, Max Bill joined the artist's group

“Abstraction-Création” and became one of the

most important representatives of the Concrete

art movement. Max Bill's artistic career influenced

his design practice significantly, and he became

known for his use of clean lines, elegantly defined

forms and precise proportions. One of the most

famous examples of his work is the Chronoscope

mechanical watch designed for the manufacturer

Jung-hans, which he began work on in 1956.

As the first director of the Ulm School of Design

that opened in 1953 in Ulm, Germany, Max Bill

tried to carry forward the Bauhaus traditions he

had learned in Dessau. From 1967 to 1974, he

was a professor of environmental design at the

University of Fine Arts in Hamburg.


M A X B I L L

U L M STOOL

With the motto “minimal design, maximum utility,”

Max Bill and Dutch designer Hans Gugelot, de-

signed the simple Ulm Stool for the Ulm School of

Design in 1955. The stool was developed as a low

cost, mass-produced chair for the students at the

school, and is characterised by its extreme econo-

my of form and material combined with clever

functionality. The square, three-sided stool fea-

tures a round cross bar, which is used to carry it,

and also braces the two sides so that it can also

be used sideways as a small table. The sturdy,

lightweight stool became an instant design classic

because of its flexibility, and went on to inspire

generations of design students in Ulm.

Ulm Stool: minimal design, maximum utility


M A X B I L L

C O L L E C T I O N

Interior Design Examples


M A X B I L L

S Q U A R E - R O U N D T A B L E

Max Bill designed the square-roundtable 1949 for

wohnbedarf Zurich. The innovative table has an

easy-to-use lock mechanism to expand the table

top from square to round.

Material:

It is produced with solid maple and black linoleum.

Square-Round Table 1949/1950


M A X B I L L

C R O S S F R A M E C H A I R

The design of the Cross Frame Chair was created

in 1952 and was relaunched in 1999 as a reedi-

tion.

The model shows max bills capability as a product

designer and he received several awards in the

fifties for “the good form” of Swiss Werkbund, an

association of designers, artists and other design

experts. The leg design, the X frame, is a creation

of Max Bill. This supports the seat surface and

gives the greatest static maintenance.

The stool is available in three different colors:

Seat, back and leg nature

seat and back nature, leg black

seat, back and leg black

Material:

Moulded plywood seat and back, rear legs solid

bentwood.

Cross Frame Chair


M A X B I L L

C R O S S F R A M E C H A I R /

S Q U A R E - R O U N D T A B L E


Restaurant Neuer Falken, Küsnacht Zurich


M A X B I L L

T H R E E - R O U N D T A B L E /

T R I P O D C H A I R Three-Round table 1949/1950

In the fifties the popular three-round table from

max bill was kindly named as kidney tables. In

addition to the free forms of almost all well-known

examples the 1949/50 designed table shows

strictness and precision. The construction of three

legs determines its geometrical figure. The three

round table – available as low and high edition –

sets a prime of max bills campaign for design re-

forms.

Material:

It is produced with solid maple and black linoleum.

Tripod Chair 1949/1950

The three-legged stool was designed by max bill

in 1949, exclusively for wohnbedarf Zurich. The

original chair is made of high quality natural

beech. Combined with the three round table, the

chair gives a stylish and classical ambience eve-

rywhere.

Material:

Moulded plywood seat and back, rear leg solid

bentwood.

Bakery Fellenberg, Zurich


M A X B I L L

T H R E E - R O U N D T A B L E /

T R I P O D C H A I R



M A X B I L L

B A R S T O O L

The Bill Bar Stool is the classic bar stool. The

original Tripod is produced with upholstered seat

and soft leather designed by max bill for "Bar du

Théâtre" at the Expo 64 in Lausanne. max bill was

there as an architect and as a person responsible

for the sector "forming and figures”.

Nowadays the bar stool is as four-legged availa-

ble.

Bill Bar Stool

Interior Design Example


M A X B I L L

B A R S T O O L

Adrianos - Bar & Café, Bern

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