It´s midsummer time – the heat is sizzling and we all could use a cold drink. With a chilled glass of fresh orange juice in one hand, we invite you to take a seat on our green outdoor lounge chairs designed by Carlo Hauner to chat about him and his friendship with architect and designer Martin Eisler. But first, let’s take some ice cubes from our silver pineapple ice bucket designed by Mauro Manetti to cool down our drinks before we embark on an imaginary trip to South American mid-century modern design…
The friendship between Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner blossomed in the wake of sorrowful circumstances. At that time, the shadow of the Second World War was looming over Europe and the two men were forced to leave their lives behind, respectively. Shortly after receiving his architecture degree in 1936, Viennese-born Martin Eisler left his hometown and emigrated to Argentina, where he began to exercise his profession as an architect and opened up his interior design firm “Interieur Forma”. A couple of years later, in the 1950s, Eisler decided to move to Brazil, where he was looking for help to produce furniture for the home of his brother-in-law. During his search, Eisler came across Italian designer Carlo Hauner – who also had left his homeland behind during the Second World War and emigrated to Brazil.
Most likely fueled by their similar life experiences and similar professional interests, the two men became not only working colleagues but foremost great friends. Together, they opened a gallery and furniture company in São Paulo – which later merged into the iconic interieur firm called Forma, one of the biggest names on the Brazilian scene of mid-century modern furniture production. Forma´s designs are characterized by the use of exotic Brazilian wood (Jacaranda, Civiona) and filigree metal rocks. Forma’s aim was to “return to the roots”, focusing on the aesthetics of handcrafted design. Up to this day, furniture produced by Forma in the 1960s and 1970s is highly sought-after and features in exhibitions around the world. As a team, the two friends Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner certainly left their footprint on the stylistic landscape of Brazilian mid-century modern design.
We hope you enjoyed this little imaginary trip to Brazil – now it’s time to return to our Carlo Hauner seats and continue to relish in the warm sun! Stay tuned for our next summer tale…
xx
ohne butter team