Andre Cordemeyer

André R. Cordemeyer (1924-1998) was born in Holland, he studied mechanical engineering and worked as an engineer at a fireplace factory in Castricum. Later he joined the bed factory Auping in Deventer, where he worked on hospital beds and designed the Cleopatra bed. Afterwards, he became an independent designer, designing transport vehicles (Buiscar), polyester items, pans and furniture for the Gispen company. With his colleague, the designer Wim Rietveld, Cordemeyer created several functional furniture lines. He is the man who convinced Gispen to introduce polypropylene into its industrial production in 1956. It was a real success!

In a 1964 interview, he said: ‘The designers should be able to show what they are capable of without making the manufacturers afraid by bragging about the designs. Industrial design is not an art form, it is a craft like any other craft.’ Cordemeyer has been the chairman of KIO (Association of Industrial Designers) and he has worked for Kema and the Nationaal Energie Programma (National Energy Programme).

Cordemeyer is one of the great visionnary designers from the 20th Century.