From Wealth of Sobriety to the Iconic Furniture of Pastoe

Please join us for a discussion and tour of the Gerrit Rietveld: Wealth of Sobriety exhibition, now on view at the Center for Architecture through September 2, 2026.

The exhibition showcases the work of Dutch photographer Arjan Bronkhorst, who in 2018 published the photographic volume Wealth of Sobriety based on a several-years-long project spent documenting lesser-known houses by the renowned architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964). Bronkhorst’s book contains almost 400 photographs and tells the story of Rietveld and his encounters with clients. Of the 20 houses documented in the book, exhibition co-curators Barry Bergdoll and Bronkhorst selected photos of 15, all constructed from 1924 until 1963, including one in Oberlin, Ohio—the only detached house designed by Rietveld outside of the Netherlands. While the book is organized chronologically by project, Bergdoll and Bronkhorst’s exhibition creates a visual narrative, juxtaposing details from different houses and inviting visitors into Rietveld’s world through salient aesthetic attributes and patterns.

For this program, Rietveld collector and furniture manufacturer Titus Darley will discuss how Rietveld's iconic furniture now shapes the future of his company, Pastoe. Darley has visited many of the houses on view in the exhibition and is well acquainted with their interiors. His company has put more than 15 Rietveld furniture pieces into production, ranging from the famous Crate Chair in collaboration with Hay to the Press Room Chair and the recently launched Zwaan, which are now part of the Pastoe collection.

Darley will explain how the publication of a design believed to be lost led to the discovery of the original chair, which is now on display at his RSGA Design Museum in the Netherlands. The presentation will demonstrate how after 100 years Rietveld's designs continue to have a major influence on our culture and design. 
 
Following the lecture, Darley will lead a guided tour of the exhibition.

Speaker: 
Titus Darley, Founder, RSGA Design; Director, Pastoe