The Furnishings

One of the most beautiful elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey was the use of contemporary furniture. Futuristic-looking chairs or tables from famous designs of the 20th Century were often used in science documentaries, science fiction movies and television before 2001 was made. From The Forbidden Planet to Lost In Space, George Nelson Herman Miller Coconut chair, were used in scenes with rotating computer tapes, flashing lights and weird sound effects to create an ethereal atmosphere.

The most famous furnishings used was a product of the sixties: Eero Aarnio's Globe chair also used in the science fiction drama, The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan. The Prisoner is inarguably the best science fiction television drama in the 20th Century and the Globe chair was a symbolic theme of world control, and was the center piece of Number Two's control room. The sphere symbol was prevalent throughout the show from the round ball guardian called Rover to the Pennyfarthing. Stanley Kubrick used much of the same furniture throughout 2001 as part of a business setting in the 21st Century which looked remarkably like designer George Nelson's Action Office furniture from 1964 by Herman Miller and designed by Robert Propst. The Space Station receptionists sits in a converted Action Office High Desk. Black and white were prevalent throughout 2001 to set a cold, controlled environment of space technology of the future. Space Station One is the most famous scene when Dr. Heywood Floyd meets the Russians. We see them seated comfortably in odd chairs of lava-red. These are the Djinn chairs designed by Olivier Mourgue in 1965. The Djinn chairs were showcased in the 2001: A Space Odyssey Collectibles Exhibit at the San Mateo Library and were easily recognized by viewers as the chairs from 2001.

This page is designed to showcase furnishings from 2001, other science fiction movie and television shows to educate the importance of modernism and science fiction as a symbolic look at the future.

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