Hans Bellmann

Hans Bellmann (25 September 1911 – 26 October 1990) was a Swiss architect and product designer who played a major role in shaping Swiss domestic design during the 1950s and 1960s. He studied at the Bauhaus school and later worked for Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. His designs received twelve Die Gute Form awards from the Swiss Werkbund.

Biography Hans Bellmann was born on 25 September 1911 in Turgi. His father, Georg Albin Bellmann, was a galvaniser from Dresden, and his mother was Maria Katharina Eckhardt. Bellmann and Albers maintained a regular correspondence for many years.

Bellmann returned to Switzerland in 1934 and worked with Wohnbedarf AG in Zurich until 1938. His Bauhaus training and his subsequent work with van der Rohe shaped his approach to design.

From 1955 to 1961, Bellmann developed the Sitwell furniture collection with Strässle Söhne AG. which received a Die Gute Form award in 1952. His designs received twelve Die Gute Form awards from the Swiss Werkbund. Bellmann placed particular emphasis on practicality and suitability for domestic use in his furniture and product designs.

Bellmann designed the GA Stuhl in 1955. The model remained in production until 1970. For its seat, he divided a moulded-plywood shell and reconnected the two sections at an angle, creating a three-dimensional form. The construction led to the GA Stuhl also being known as the "two-shell chair". The design received a Die Gute Form award in 1956. At Expo 64 in Lausanne, the Ticino restaurant was furnished with Bellmann’s GA Stuhl.