Arnold Merckx

Arnold Merckx, born in Franeker, grew up in a family of carpenters and learned the trade at a young age. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts and Applied Sciences in Rotterdam and several years of work experience, he founded his studio ‘Arnold Merckx Design’ in 1978. Since then he has worked for several a large number of manufacturers.

In the late 1970s an intensive collaboration with Arco began. In addition to a large part of the collection – of which some are still in our collection - Merckx also played an important role in defining and developing the corporate identity. He gave direction to trade fair stands, photography and texts, but also to graphic expressions in cooperation with external graphic designers, such as Geert Setola (link http://ateliersetola.blogspot.nl/). Some of his well-known designs are still part of the Arco collection, such as the Graphic and Balance table.