Past event
Plywood: Material of the Modern World
Light, strong and versatile, plywood was the surprising material celebrated in this world-first exhibition
Light, strong and versatile, plywood was the surprising material celebrated in this world-first exhibition
Featuring groundbreaking pieces by Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer and Charles and Ray Eames, alongside an incredible range of objects from planes to skateboards, this exhibition told the story of how this often-overlooked material made the modern world.
This exhibition is now closed at V&A South Kensington
Sponsored by
MADE.COM is proud to support Plywood: Material of the Modern World. As a design-led lifestyle brand, our aspirations and values are synonymous with the V&A. The exhibition highlights plywood as the unsung hero and it is true that many of our designs would not be possible without this innovative, versatile material. This year's exhibition has inspired the brief for MADE's Emerging Talent Award, a competition for aspiring designers.
Exhibition highlights
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Armchair, Alvar Aalto, 1930, Finland. © Alvar Aalto Museum. Photograph Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Full-scale cross section showing FPL prefabricated construction to be built for the exhibition. Demonstration house built in 1937. Photograph courtesy USDA Forest Products Lab -
Ice skating shelters, Patkau Architects, 2012, Winnipeg. © Patkau Architects -
Workman carrying a complete Deperdussin monocoque fuselage, about 1912, Deperdussin factory, Paris. © Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace-Le Bourget- INV.Prim -
British de Havilland Mosquito, 1941. © de Havilland Aircraft Museum -
Singer sewing machine with moulded plywood cover, 1888 -
Doll’s chair with moulded plywood seat and back. Manufactured by Gardner & Company, about 1875, New York. Photograph Victoria and Albert Museum, London -
Drawing of Alvar Aalto designed Finnish Pavilion at the New York World's Fair of 1939-40. © Alvar Aalto Museum -
Print, full-scale prototype of a plywood tubular rail system in operation at American Institute Fair, New York, 1867 -
DCM chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, 1947. © Eames Office, LLC -
‘Edie Stool’, designed by David and Joni Steiner for Open Desk, 2013, London. Photograph © Rory Gardiner -
Moulded plywood chair, designed by Grete Jalk, 1963
Past events
Features
Inside the Plywood: Material of the Modern World exhibition
Inside the Plywood: Material of the Modern World exhibition
Find out more about the world's first exhibition dedicated to plywood
How is plywood made?
How is plywood made?
Taking you on a journey from tree to board, watch our animation to discover how plywood is made
A short history of plywood in ten-ish objects
A short history of plywood in ten-ish objects
The history of plywood is a history of the modern world
DIY with PLY
DIY with PLY
From the simple to the complex, get making with our best of the web plywood projects
Marcel Breuer's Short Chair
Marcel Breuer's Short Chair
Discover the history of one of Marcel Breuer's best-known designs
Moulding a seat for Marcel Breuer’s Short Chair
Moulding a seat for Marcel Breuer’s Short Chair
Find out how a contemporary version of Marcel Breuer’s iconic Short Chair is made
Garden installation: Plywood ice-skating shelters
Garden installation: Plywood ice-skating shelters
Explore these beautiful shelters, originally designed to keep Canadian skaters warm, in our garden
Manufacturing plywood boards: then and now
Manufacturing plywood boards: then and now
Discover how plywood boards were made in the mid-20th century and today
Building a plywood house
Building a plywood house
The WikiHouse plywood building system that can be downloaded anywhere in the world
Plywood: Material of the Modern World
SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE V&A