We should bring back the holistic approach and interdisciplinary ethos of the mid-century modern designers, argues Dominic Bradbury as part of our mid-century modern design series.

There are many magical ingredients that, mixed together, help to explain the enduring resonance of mid-century modern design.
Post-war architects and designers were able to build upon foundations set by the early modernist pioneers of the twenties and thirties, yet their work was also enriched by access to fresh, inventive materials and ways of making, from plywood and plastics through to reinforced cement and concrete shell structures. There was an infectious sense of optimism and a strong desire for a fresh beginning, but also a renewed respect for self-expression and form-giving. More than this, there was also a profound belief in the benefits of creative collaboration and the power of the polymath during the mid-century period.
During the fifties and sixties, the boundaries between the various disciplines of design blurred and dissolved. Sculptors designed chairs, architects designed lighting and graphic designers created textiles within an important process of multi-disciplinary cross-fertilisation.
There was no one springing up to say that an architect should not be designing a sofa
Unlike today when the specialists rule supreme, there was no one springing up to say that an architect should not be designing a sofa or questioning why a ceramicist might suddenly change direction and embrace ...