In early May, the Eames Institute asked us to design an exhibition. Four weeks later (yes, four weeks), at the Transamerica Building in San Francisco, it opened to the public. Past as Prologue: The Last Decade of Furniture Design by Ray and Charles Eames (1968–78) “explores the final years of Eames furniture design, capturing how their work evolved to meet the emergent needs of modern workplaces.” Volume worked with the Institute (armed with sublime brand standards designed by Manual) to create an experience that centers on the furniture, carefully selected by curator Llisa Demetrios, and surrounds it with the spirit and essence of the Eameses, giving visitors as much an entrée into their influences, process, and lives as the finished work.
A 30-year flash of furniture design. (In four weeks!)
A tour of the Eames Archives in Richmond with Llisa immediately catalyzed our design process, immersing us in everything Ray and Charles. It also gave us our conceptual throughline: When approached about the Lounge Chair and Ottoman design process, Charles was asked, “Did you think of the Eames chair in a flash?” His reply? “Yes, sort of a 30-year flash.” The main exhibition wall illustrates this most explicitly.
The Transamerica Gallery backs onto a public park, with ample glazing to see inside, and is accessible via a pedestrian path on Washington Street. We want to ensure that the exhibition has a presence beyond the gallery, attracting people outside and bringing some of the natural light in. Some of the windows are glazed with color (inspired by the Eameses Palisades home), creating a unique beacon for passersby and stained glass-like washes for those in the gallery.
The plinths conveniently allow visitors to observe the fine details of the furniture, so we sized the specifications at a very readable size. There are also rulers on the long ends of the plinth bases for quick and easy measurements. The short ends include quotes from both Ray and Charles.
On the south wall, the exhibition highlights the many facets of the Eames Institute, including the Ranch, William Stout Books, and the Archives. Along the east perimeter, single furniture pieces are placed on their own plinths that, combined with the colored light coming through the windows, produce singular “portraits” of the work.
(Primary photography by Nico Zurcher / Eames Institute)