Schemel – Model I / 50 cm

from €395.00

Naked steel: delivery time 4 weeks

In 1909, the world's first seating furniture made of riveted steel plate was brought to market. Due to its durability and functional design, the Rowac-Schemel was chosen for many factories and schools, such as the Bauhaus. Now, over 100 years later, this industrial icon is handcrafted true to the original in the Ore Mountains of Germany.

Walter Gropius chose the beech / glossy black finish for the Bauhaus.

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Naked steel: delivery time 4 weeks

In 1909, the world's first seating furniture made of riveted steel plate was brought to market. Due to its durability and functional design, the Rowac-Schemel was chosen for many factories and schools, such as the Bauhaus. Now, over 100 years later, this industrial icon is handcrafted true to the original in the Ore Mountains of Germany.

Walter Gropius chose the beech / glossy black finish for the Bauhaus.

*incl. VAT excl. shipping

Naked steel: delivery time 4 weeks

In 1909, the world's first seating furniture made of riveted steel plate was brought to market. Due to its durability and functional design, the Rowac-Schemel was chosen for many factories and schools, such as the Bauhaus. Now, over 100 years later, this industrial icon is handcrafted true to the original in the Ore Mountains of Germany.

Walter Gropius chose the beech / glossy black finish for the Bauhaus.

*incl. VAT excl. shipping

  • Regional production: in the Ore Mountains within a radius of 40 km

    Frame: cold rolled steel, formed and riveted

    Frame coatings:

    1. powder-coating

    2. zinc-nickel plating (naked steel): The micron-thin plating is applied directly to the raw metal surface. This preserves the unique details that develop during the riveting, forming and bending processes.

    Seat top: PEFC-certified wood, treated with hard wax oil (wood is a natural material, grain and colour vary - each seat top is therefore unique).

    Seat height: 50 cm

    Weight: 3.8 kg

 
 
 
Bauhaus Weimar students and teachers or faculty sitting on Rowac schemel or stools in 1923.

The once forgotten Bauhaus schemel.

With the Model I, Rowac brought the world's first riveted furniture made of lightweight steel to market in 1909. This was the impetus for the development of ergonomic seating in the furniture industry. Numerous factories and schools were furnished with the so-called "Rowac-Schemel". In the 1920s, this piece of furniture was so well regarded that architects explicitly chose it for their projects. This was also the case with Walter Gropius, who implemented the Rowac schemel for his new Bauhaus building in Dessau.

 
 
Detail of riveted bridge construction, similar to Rowac furniture.

Rivet your eyes on this.

In contrast to conventionally welded steel furniture, which cracks when overloaded, riveted constructions bend only slightly at most. Structural stiffeners provide additional support while at the same time allowing for an astonishingly lightweight construction. It’s no wonder that many Rowac-Schemel have been in use for over 100 years.

 
 
A forested lake in the ore mountains in Saxony.

Gateway to the silver Ore Mountains.

In 1888 Rowac started production in Chemnitz, the gateway to the “silver Ore Mountains”. Since the expropriation in 1946, there have been no more Rowac-Schemel produced and there are only a few old treasures left. The new production takes place exclusively within a 40 km radius. Here, the metal parts are stamped, riveted together, painted and fitted with seat tops. The PEFC-certified wood used for production is sourced from the Ore Mountains and processed by experienced woodturners in an environmentally friendly manner.

 
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