NELSON George

George NELSON

USA (1908-1986)

George Nelson studied architecture at Yale University and at the Catholic University of America, Washington. In 1932 he moved at the American Academy in Rome. George Nelson wrote about International Style architects in a series of articles in the journal Pencil Points. Nelson promoted Modernism and was instrumental in introducing Mies van der Rohe to America. From 1935 to 1943, he was associate editor of the journal Architectural Forum. In 1947, George Nelson his own architecture and design office in New York. From 1953, he was a partner in New York with Gordon Chadwick on architecture and industrial design project. Although an architect by training and profession, he designed few building. 1946-65, he was design director at Herman Miller. George Nelson was responsible for Herman Miller’s distinguished rostrum of designers, including Charles Eames and Alexander Girard. Though a productive designer, Nelson was best know during his lifetime for his wringing lectures. George Nelson repudiated, with others of the European School the commercialism of Raymond Loewy and others purveyors of styling. In the late 1950’s, Nelson became interested in exhibition design and concentrated on urban design problems. Georges Nelson with Charles Eames designed the 1959 US Exhibition in Moscow.

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