Robots 1:2

Robots 1:2 presents the toy robots of the R. F. Robot Collection at the Vitra Design Museum.

Collected over decades by Rolf Fehlbaum, the robots are described as “small kinetic sculptures of great originality.” The catalogue reflects this perspective, treating each object with attention to form, movement, and character.

Each robot is reproduced at a 1:2 scale, with the dimensions of the book determined by the largest piece in the collection. Alongside the objects themselves, the catalogue includes original packaging, whose graphic language traces changing visions of the future, capturing a time when technology was imagined through bold, mechanical optimism.

Part document, part study in form, the book offers a focused look at design, play, and the evolving aesthetics of futurism. As a companion, select pages include QR codes that link to videos, bringing the full motion of these mechanical toys to life.

9.45 in L x 6.69 in W x 1.14 D

Vitra was founded in 1950 by Willi Fehlbaum in Switzerland, initially as a manufacturer and retailer of shopfitting and furniture. The company’s direction shifted after Fehlbaum encountered the work of Charles and Ray Eames in the United States, leading Vitra to become the licensed European producer of their designs. This marked the beginning of Vitra’s close relationship with modern design.

Over the following decades, Vitra developed into a leading furniture company, collaborating with designers such as George Nelson and Verner Panton. Its campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, became a site for architectural experimentation, featuring buildings by internationally recognized architects.

In 1989, under the leadership of Rolf Fehlbaum, Vitra established the Vitra Design Museum. The museum expanded the company’s role beyond manufacturing into research, exhibitions, and publishing. Through its publications, Vitra documents design history, material culture, and contemporary practice, extending its influence from objects in space to ideas in print.

352 pages, 260 illustrations, English

Books are final sale.