10 centenaries that explain why we live, inhabit, illuminate and design space almost as we did 100 years ago
In 1926, it was not only remarkable objects that emerged, but entirely new ways of thinking space. From Bauhaus Dessau and the Frankfurt Kitchen, to the PH lighting system, the cantilever chair and tubular steel furniture, a series of projects and ideas simultaneously redefined architecture, interiors and design culture. A century later, their influence remains visible in the way we inhabit, design and understand the built environment.
The selection presented here treats the centenaries of 2026 not as a simple succession of anniversaries, but as a cartography—tracing moments of exceptional creative fertility whose echoes are still present today.
1. BAUHAUS DESSAU — THE PLACE WHERE THE FUTURE WAS IMAGINED
Few places have influenced the evolution of modern architecture, design and visual culture as profoundly as Dessau.
On 4 December 1926, the new Bauhaus building in Dessau opened its doors, turning the German city into the stage of the most productive period in Bauhaus history. During this time, the ideals of modernity took built form through Walter Gropius’ building, the Masters’ Houses and a series of projects that redefined the relationship between creation, technology and industry.
The building translated the school’s ideas into architecture: a composition of distinct volumes articulated through glass, steel and concrete, where function and space become a unified discourse. The move from Weimar to Dessau gave the Bauhaus a rare opportunity—to build its own form. A century later, the building remains not only a landmark of modernity, but the constructed expression of an idea that continues to shape design culture.
© Bauhaus Dessau Foundation (I 14409 F)/ © (Lucia Moholy (née Schulz)) VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024 / © (Walter Gropius) VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024 / Image via Google. www.bauhaus-dessau.de
2. SYSTEM PH — THE FORM THAT SHAPES LIGHT
A century after the creation of System PH, Louis Poulsen revisits the principles that permanently transformed the relationship between light and space.
Designed in 1926 by Poul Henningsen, the three-shade system redefined the relationship between light and visual comfort through controlled distribution and the elimination of glare. Louis Poulsen marks the anniversary of one of the most influential concepts in lighting design history with the PH Centenary collection—a series of objects that express the continuity of a design philosophy in which form exists to shape light.
System PH remains not only a reference of Nordic modernism, but also proof that genuine innovation retains its relevance across time, continuing to illuminate contemporary space with precision and clarity.
www.louispoulsen.com
3. A CENTURY SINCE THE CHAIR THAT REBALANCED DESIGN
In 1926, Mart Stam presented at the Werkbund exhibition in Stuttgart an object that would redefine the vocabulary of modern furniture: the cantilever chair—without rear legs—part of a radical experiment that reshaped the history of seating design.
Made of tubular steel and based on the cantilever principle, the object broke away from traditional chair typologies and introduced a new relationship between structure, material and the human body. Its geometric clarity, economy of means and the sensation described at the time as “sitting on air” turned Stam’s chair into a landmark of modernism.
From this idea emerged one of the most influential furniture families of the 20th century. A century later, Thonet marks the anniversary through reinterpretations of the S 33 and S 34 models, reaffirming the relevance of a form that continues to inspire contemporary design.
Photography © Thonet GmbH . www.thonet.de
4. VERNER PANTON AT 100 — IMAGINATION AS A WAY OF LIVING
In 2026, we mark 100 years since the birth of Verner Panton, the visionary who radically expanded the boundaries of modern design and interior architecture.
More than the author of iconic pieces, Panton imagined complete environments in which colour, light, materiality and form merge into a total spatial experience. His centenary, celebrated by Vitra and the Vitra Design Museum through exhibitions, anniversary editions and reissues of key works, reactivates the creative dialogue between Panton and Vitra—a collaboration that gave rise to the legendary Panton Chair, one of the symbols of 20th-century design, and decisively contributed to redefining modern design language.
A century after his birth, Panton’s legacy remains strikingly relevant: a manifesto for imagination, freedom and the continuous reinvention of contemporary space.
Photography © Vitra AD. www.vitra.com
Words by Andreea Dicianu
Discover the full version of this story in Volume VI.