Peter Zumthor

Peter Zumthor (b. 1943, Basel) is one of the most highly regarded architects in the world today. In 2009 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. Alongside projects such as the Kunsthaus Bregenz and the new building for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, he is also responsible for the Fondation Beyeler’s expanded ensemble.

In 2017, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Kunsthaus Bregenz devoted the exhibition «Dear to Me» to Peter Zumthor. For the ground floor, conceived as a stage space and lounge area, Zumthor designed the Bregenz armchair with matching footstool in a limited edition of just 36 pieces.

For the Fondation Beyeler’s new buildings, Peter Zumthor developed this design further and created a new model for the Panorama Lounge in the Torhaus. To mark the opening of the new building complex, lastly, he has produced one more, exclusive version of the chair: the Beyeler Bienen Sessel (Beyeler Bee Armchair).

This one-off piece is dedicated to Ernst Beyeler. In Swiss German, “Beyeli” means bee and “Beyeler” means beekeeper. Ernst Beyeler, who was delighted to bear this surname, often said: “I’m simply a collector, just like the bees.”

Peter Zumthor has donated this custom-made chair for this year’s benefit auction. It combines his unmistakable stylistic idiom with a personal homage to Ernst Beyeler and the history of the Fondation Beyeler. The result is a unique collector’s item of great architectural and cultural significance – an object that unites design, craftsmanship and the spirit of the place in an unparalleled way.

Tubular steel frame, welded and black powder-coated hand-forged legs, natural latex foam upholstery and honeycomb fabric

Chair: 110.5 × 81 × 81.1 cm

Unique, signed by hand, dated, and numbered

Copyright: Peter Zumthor

Courtesy: Atelier Peter Zumthor

Provenance: Donated by Atelier Peter Zumthor, Haldenstein

Estimate: Priceless!