About
Isokon was founded in 1931 by Jack Pritchard, a visionary leader at the heart of British Modernism, alongside Canadian Architect Wells Coates. It began with the Lawn Road flats in Hampstead, the first modern building of its kind, which required the furniture and fittings that Pritchard had envisaged.
In 1997 Isokon became Isokon Plus, when then owner, Chris McCourt began working with new designers Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby. Today Isokon Plus continues to forge long-lasting partnerships with designers who understand and respect the ideals of the original founders.
The entire collection is handmade in London, each piece is beautifully crafted and considered.
1933
Isokon Stool
The remarkably light Isokon Stool was first seen in the late 1930s at the Isobar Restaurant and Club at Lawn Road Flats - now known as the Isokon Building. The Isokon Tray fits neatly on the Isokon Stool to create a small side table. The designer of the stool is unknown to this day.
1936
Isokon Long Chair
Breuer’s design of the Long Chair spreads a person’s weight across a larger area than a regular chair, giving greater comfort. Isokon advertising for its launch in 1936 described the chair as ‘giving scientific relaxation to every part of the body, immediately creating a feeling of well-being’.
1939
Penguin Donkey
The original Isokon Penguin Donkey was designed to be the perfect size for storing Penguin paperback books. Its flowing organic style uses thin layers of plywood to accommodate its pronounced curves.
1946
T46 Coffee Table
The T46 is an equilateral triangle which is formed from seven layers of laminated veneer, creating a simple, elegant coffee table. Originally designed in 1946 the table was first manufactured 55 years later in 2001.
1963
Donkey 2
In 1963 Jack Pritchard commissioned Ernest Race to re-design the Isokon Donkey – this updated Donkey was advertised as being an “obliging creature which holds up to 90 paperbacks in two panniers …and provides a convenient chairside table for your tray of hors d’oeuvres, coffee cups, glass, ashtray, knitting or anything else you want to keep beside you.”
1996
Loop Coffee Table
Loop Table went into production in 1996 and was the first new design to be manufactured since Ernest Race’s redesign of the Penguin Donkey bookcase in 1963 and prompted the launch Isokon Plus. The table’s body comprises two curved plywood elements, connecting seamlessly at the ends to create a loop.
2014
Bodleian Libraries Chair
Crafted to be comfortably sat in for many hours, the rear view of the chair was identified as critical to the concept of the design – the most visible aspect when the chair is in situ. The vertical timber, resembling the spines of books on shelves, forms one of the three legs that attaches to the sled base. Winner of the 'Bodleian Libraries Chair Competition' it is only the third new chair developed specifically for the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford since 1756.
2021
Iso-Lounge
The Iso-Lounge though seemingly simple in form pushes the technical performance of plywood to its limit. The cantilevered design, is manufactured from engineered plywood and offers unparalleled strength, support and comfort, coupled with an elegant and practical aesthetic.