Hans Von Klier Biography
Hans von Klier was born in 1934 in Děčín. He completed his studies at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm (HfG), obtaining a diploma in 1959. Subsequently, in 1960, he moved to Milan, where he worked at the studio of Ettore Sottsass until 1968. During this collaboration, he developed projects not only in the field of furniture design, but also in the design of technical equipment.
Starting in 1969, von Klier was responsible for directing Olivetti's industrial design and corporate identity. During this period, he made significant modernizations to the company logo and published the "Red Books" between 1971 and 1978. These volumes represent design manuals detailing all the graphic elements used in the corporate identity, such as brochures , catalogs and labels. In 1986, the "Red Books" were included in the New Munich Collection.
In the 1960s, in collaboration with Sottsass, von Klier designed the "Summa 19 R" calculator and the iconic "Tekne 3" and "Praxis 48" typewriters for Olivetti. Additionally, from 1973 to 1975, von Klier served as a juror for the German Federal Prize for Good Form and accepted teaching positions in England, Germany, and the United States.
As a furniture designer, von Klier has collaborated with companies such as Skipper, Planula and Rossi-Arredamenti. Among his best-known designs for Olivetti Synthesis are the "Edys" seating series (1980), the "Linea Direzionale" furniture series (1981) and the "Astrea" chair (1991).
