Description
Early edition 1980s of the iconic Dutch design cube chair, model FM60, by Radboud van Beekum for Pastoe. Both chairs in very good condition, canvas and white lacquered metal, h. 68, w. 61, d. 68, set h. 41.
Van Beekum (1950-1920) studied architectural design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. After graduating, he worked as a furniture maker from his own design studio in Amsterdam, designing interiors and furniture for private individuals, companies, and institutions, including the Anne Frank House. During this period, he also designed the famous FM60 cube chair, which was launched in 1981 in collaboration with Pastoe. A year earlier, it had won an award at the Triennial for Furniture Design in Poznan. In 1989, he joined the spatial design team at the design studio Total Design in Amsterdam and co-designed the counter furniture for Dutch post offices, which was awarded the Kho Liang Ie Prize in 1991. During his time at Total Design, he specialized in stand construction and museum and exhibition design, working for clients such as the Rijksmuseum, the Royal Palace on Dam Square, and the Oil and Gas Museum in Muscat, Oman. For ten years, he designed the stand for furniture manufacturer Ahrend every two years at the Orgatec trade fair in Cologne. From 1997 to 2003, he worked for the architectural firm Zaanen & Spanjers (ZSA). He was responsible for various interiors, such as the De Meervaart theater in Amsterdam and the library of the Cultura center in Ede. Since 2002, he has focused on archival research and publications in the field of architecture and design. This has resulted in several books on Amsterdam School architects: B.T. Boeyinga, Cornelis Kruyswijk, and G.F. la Croix. From 2007 to mid-2015, he was publisher/editor of the BONAS book series. During this period, 19 monographs on architects and designers were published. Since then, he has again been self-employed as a historical researcher. He publishes in various journals, including KNOB Bulletin, Eigenbouwer, and Binnenstad. His last book, about architect Jan Kuijt Wzn., was published in the spring of 2018. In September 2020, the FM60 cube chair will be relaunched by Pastoe. Radboud van Beekum passed away on April 13, 2020, during a retreat in Zutphen.
