NEW AMSTERDAM
NEW AMSTERDAM
Gerrit Rietveld designed the New Amsterdam armchair in 1937 for Steamship ‘New Amsterdam’. This new flagship of the Holland America Line made her maiden voyage to New York on 10 May 1938. The armchair was part of a full interior design that Rietveld made for a first-class cabin. With his minimalist style he created a cabin that provided the luxury and comfort for the modern ocean traveller. The most striking design in the cabin were the comfortable lounge chairs. As part of Rietveld Originals, this ahead-of-its-time design armchair is now available in the Spectrum collection.
On the occasion of the first production of the New Amsterdam armchair, a Limited Edition of 37 pieces has been made. These unique numbered items are upholstered in a luxurious velvet with a frost stone color. The armrests are made of solid American walnut. The Limited Edition is packed in a special crate. It was this method of packaging that inspired Rietveld to design his famous crate chair shortly before he accepted the commission for the New Amsterdam steamship. The wooden crate of the Limited Edition packaging provides the owner to easily build an original Rietveld crate chair.