Howe
40/4 Chair (1964), David RowlandGraduated at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the school that also trained Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Eero Saarinen, David Lincoln Rowland (1924-2010) was an American industrial designer mostly famous for his 40/4 chair. Early in his career, Rowland worked under Lazlo Moholy-Nagy as well as Norman Bel Geddes.
The 40/4 chair, so named because it stacks 40 chairs in 4 feet (120 cm) high, was the first compactly stackable chair invented. It is regarded as the gold standard of stackable chairs and can be found in many prestigious locations, including St. Paul’s Cathedral in London (also for the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer) and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Rowland’s 40/4 stackable chair is one of the most important designs of the 20th century. Its elegant lines, excellent ergonomics, and unsurpassed ability to create space without taking up space continues to attract architects and designers. An indisputable icon of multifunctional design, the 40/4 chair is produced by Howe and featured in design collections and museums all over the world.
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