Museum-like and minimalist, the BZ slatted bench was designed by Martin Visser in 1960, for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Visser’s sleek creations for ‘t Spectrum and functional approach to design - evidenced by this bench - have greatly inspired Dutch design history.

Honest use of materials, clear construction and lack of decoration show Visser’s great admiration for Henk Berlage and pre-war functionalism. The timeless design and clear design language makes this slatted bench a true classic. Due to its length, width and height dimensions, the BZ bench can be used in different ways; as a sideboard, as a bench in the hall or at the foot end of the bed. The well-known Martin Visser characteristics can be clearly observed: clean, straight lines and a masterfully crafted structure. The five slats comprising the seat are perfectly placed parallel to each other, showcasing the versatile shades of the wenge wood. The airy arrangement prevents the design from looking heavy and instead creates a stylish, modern look. The legs’ straight, sculpted shape matches the slats, and they are connected by beautiful dovetail joinery that makes this bench appealing even from below. The solid wenge wood is spectacular and the understated design allows it to truly stand out. The BZ slatted bench came in different sizes, this present piece is the largest version, also known as model “BZ 81”.

This BZ bench’s name also shows Visser’s dedication to functionalism: the furniture is named after a simple system where the first (Dutch) letter indicates the type of furniture and the second letter refers to the function. From 1954, Visser was the head designer for Spectrum and the iconic collection - that this BZ bench is also part of - he designed in 1960 still forms the backbone of the Spectrum collection today.

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SOLD

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Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions:

78.74 in W x 16.25 in D x 11.81 in H

200 cm W x 41.3 cm D x 30 cm H

About the Designer:

Martin Visser (1922-2009) is one of the most famous Dutch furniture designers. Through his work for the furniture department of De Bijenkorf, Visser was asked in 1954 to become head designer at Spectrum. This turns out to be a big hit; his sleek designs and functional approach to design have inspired the collection for a long time.

Visser had a strong preference for traditionally crafted designs. He demanded the utmost from technique and sought out boundaries to come up with new constructions. Honest use of materials, clear construction and lack of decoration show Visser’s great admiration for Henk Berlage and pre-war functionalism. He wanted to make accessible furniture with as little material and as simple shapes as possible. During his 20 years as chief designer, Visser linked big names to Spectrum, including Gerrit Rietveld, Friso Kramer, Hein Stolle, Constant Nieuwenhuys, Kho Liang Ie and Benno Premsela, who designed furniture for the collection. This made Spectrum one of the few Dutch furniture companies to have involved artists in their collection since the 1950s.

During his life Martin Visser built up an important private collection of contemporary art, in addition to his work as a designer. He collected early work by Cobra, and was considered the discoverer of Anselm Kiefer and Keith Haring. Of his art collection, 400 works are housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum. In December 1998 Martin Visser was rewarded the oeuvre prize for design.