Rowac-Schemel: The Forgotten Bauhaus Stool

Introduction
An industrial icon has returned to production; The Rowac-Schemel. Designed and manufactured shortly after the turn of the last century, this stool became a stalwart of German industrial and institutional furniture. Due to its durability and utilitarian construction, it was widely used by factories and schools throughout Germany– famously it was chosen by Walter Gropius to be used throughout the Bauhaus school, where it became an integral and revered part of student life.

LABOUR AND WAIT is honoured to be hosting the UK launch of the Rowac-Schemel, celebrating its timeless and functional design.

We will have an exhibition in Dover Street Market, referencing an iconic image of students scaling a Rowac-Schemel pyramid they had constructed at the Bauhaus. We will also host an introductory talk by founders Alide and Dieter Amick, who revived the Rowac brand, on the third floor of Dover Street Market.

Labour and Wait Shoreditch and Marylebone will also have displays of the Rowac-Schemel, which are available for purchase.

History and Production
Rowac was founded in 1888 by Karl Robert Wagner, a trained locksmith, in Chemnitz, Saxony. Chemnitz was one of Europe’s most important locations for the textile and mechanical engineering industries - dubbed ‘the Manchester of Saxony’. It was in 1909 that Wagner had the foresight to take a pioneering step with the world's first riveted chair made of lightweight steel plate.

Years of tests, calculations and observations flowed into the development of optimum seat and backrest shapes; Rowac became a pioneer in ergonomics. The result was a wide range of products for workshops and offices, including chairs, tables, toolboxes and cabinets, which were used far beyond the borders of Germany.

Bauhaus
In the 1920s, the Rowac-Schemel became so popular that architects expressly chose the design for their projects. Having already proved its worth in the first incarnation of the Bauhaus in Weimar, Walter Gropius specifically chose the Rowac-Schemel for seating in the workshops when designing his iconic Bauhaus building in Dessau.

In what was probably the most influential school of modernism, the Rowac-Schemel was not only used as a seat, but also as an object for Wassily Kandinsky's analytical drawing lessons. Outside of the classroom, the stool was used during legendary parties and by the school's in-house band. The Rowac-Schemel was a commonplace feature of student life and is now synonymous with the Bauhaus.

Relaunch
Rowac set the standard for industrial, practical products that were honestly made and designed to last. After more than 70 years, this design classic is now back in production. With its timeless design, the archetype of the workshop stool still remains relevant today, inspiring countless other workshop furniture designs. The riveted steel plate construction, in combination with reinforcements, ensures a particularly high level of stability while allowing for an astonishingly light weight design.

Manufacture
Alide and Dieter Amick, the founders of the revived Rowac brand, place particular emphasis on preserving the details already perfected. They have created a product true to the original, standing for functionality and durability. They have made it their mission to preserve this cultural heritage from Chemnitz, Germany and pass it on to future generations.

They are particularly committed to local production, working together with traditional craftsmen in the Ore Mountains. The constituent parts of the Rowac-Schemel are produced within a radius of just 40 km.

The Rowac-Schemel represents timeless design combined with functional, indestructible and honest construction.

London Design Festival runs from Saturday 14th until Sunday 22nd September, 2024.