American Architect Roy Lippincott completed his architecture degree at Cornell University before working for several prominent ‘Chicago School’ architectural firms. His resume includes completing several of Frank Lloyd Wright’s projects after Lloyd Wright fled to Europe in 1909.

In 1921 Lippincott jointly won a design competition for the Auckland University Arts Building and worked in New Zealand on several iconic projects during the 1920s and 1930s including the Farmers Tea Rooms, a six-storey extension to Smith and Caughey department store and Massey University buildings in Palmerston North.

In keeping with the Arts and Crafts ideals of the time, Lippincott would also design the interior of each building including the furniture. These chairs were designed for the Massey University buildings and based on earlier versions designed for the Auckland University Arts Building. They are considered progressive for their lack of decorative ornamentation and use of native rimu when oak was considered fashionable.

Today Lippincott’s furniture is highly coveted and collectable. Examples can be found in the permanent collections of New Zealand’s most prominent museums including Te Papa and Auckland Museum.
Sources:
/ Andrew Barrie, “Roy Lippincott in Auckland”, Itinerary No. 28, Block: The Broadsheet of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, No. 12, 2009.
/ The Anatomy and Physiology laboratory in the Main Building of the Massey University Palmerston North. Massey University Archives, L-8-2.3\_14 CC BY

NOTE: Price is per chair, we have four available.