Certain names have shaped the current of design across the last century – designers who propelled mid-century modernism and postmodern provocation to Scandinavian craft and Japanese experimentalism. Those names have been immortalised in monographs that function as both physical histories of 20th- and 21st-century visual culture and beautifully crafted objects in their own right.
The titles listed below are an invitation to spend time inside a singular creative mind; together, they form an essential library for anyone who wants to understand how design arrived where it is today.
Seven essential books on the giants of 20th-century design
This definitive volume surveys the life and career of Gaetano Pesce, one of the most unconventional figures in contemporary design. Through an extensive interview with American curator and author Glenn Adamson, Pesce reflects on his practice – one which challenged ideas on functionality and aesthetics across six decades. Rich with personal anecdotes and critical insight, the book positions his work within postmodernism while revealing the ideas and individuality that made him such a singular creative force.
Dedicated to the master of Danish furniture design, Hans J. Wegner, this volume examines his life and work through more than 160 chairs and furniture pieces from the renowned collection of the Japanese author and illustrator Noritsugu Oda. Featuring rare prototypes, archival photographs, design drawings and extensive analysis, it offers a comprehensive overview of Wegner’s career and philosophy, which have had such an enduring influence on Scandinavian and international furniture design.
This monograph explores the creative universe of Gio Ponti, one of the defining figures of twentieth-century Italian design. Covering more than sixty projects across six decades, it examines his achievements across architecture, interiors, furniture, publishing and art direction. Full of previously unpublished materials, photographs and essays, the book sheds light on Ponti’s ability to unite elegance and humanism, offering a portrait of a visionary whose influence continues to shape design today.
This beautifully-illustrated volume celebrates the work of Charles Eames and Ray Eames, whose multidisciplinary practice transformed twentieth-century design. Beyond their iconic furniture, the book explores their contributions to architecture, photography, textiles, industrial design and film, tracing projects from moulded plywood experiments to the influential film ‘Powers of Ten’. ‘Eames’ demonstrates how the pair combined technology, craftsmanship and accessibility to shape postwar American culture.
Written by Wallpaper* contributor Sophie Lovell, this definitive monograph explores the life, work and philosophy of Dieter Rams, whose designs for Braun and Vitsœ became icons of modern product design. Combining archival materials, sketches, prototypes and photography, it traces Rams’s development of his ‘Ten Principles of Good Design’, developed in the 1970s. The book delves into why his minimalist approach continues to shape contemporary consumer culture.
‘The Modern Life’ reassesses the legacy of Charlotte Perriand, the pioneering modernist whose achievements were long overshadowed by collaborators such as Le Corbusier and Jean Prouvé. Tracing her evolution from machine-age aesthetics to nature-inspired forms, it explores her furniture, interiors, photography and architectural projects, including Les Arcs, the mountain resort project that she led. The volume highlights Perriand’s creative process, as well as her overdue recognition as a central figure in twentieth-century design history.
This definitive two-volume monograph presents the complete body of work of Shiro Kuramata, one of Japan’s most influential designers. Featuring iconic pieces such as ‘Miss Blanche’ and ‘How High the Moon’, the book explores his experimental use of materials such as resin, acrylic and metal mesh. Enhanced by a new introduction from Wallpaper* contributing editor Deyan Sudjic, it showcases the enduring impact of Kuramata’s poetic imagination.