Christie’s rostrum – initially designed within the 1700s by Thomas Chippendale, with reproductions utilized in more moderen occasions – has all the time been a central factor of the public sale home’s operations. Now, it’s making approach for a brand new design by Jony Ive and LoveFrom.
Unveiled on 5 March 2026 on the event of the 20/21 sale at London‘s King Avenue, the redesign marks Christie’s 260th 12 months, and was produced by British woodworking specialist Benchmark.
Jony Ive and LoveFrom’s new rostrum for Christie’s
(Picture credit score: David Wilman. Courtesy Christie’s Pictures LTD 2026)
‘Our collaboration with Christie’s has been unforgettably particular,’ says Ive. ‘This has been a splendidly curious and difficult venture requiring a lot analysis and sudden studying. The unique Thomas Chippendale design is masterful and stays quite intimidating.
‘Now we have designed a modest object that celebrates craft and materials. The aim of the podium is to actually and figuratively elevate the auctioneer, offering a stage for his or her authority and experience that proudly carries the Christie’s mark.’
(Picture credit score: Christie’s Pictures LTD 2026)
The podium is manufactured from sustainably sourced oak, from the identical forests that equipped the timber for the latest restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral, with additional components in stainless-steel. For the design, Ive labored carefully with the Christie’s staff: primarily, the podium is conceived as a software and the British designer approached it with the reverence one expects for a useful, utilitarian object.
The podium has to carry the auctioneer, be simply moved and saved, however on the identical time, it instructions a room throughout the public sale, so its presence is paramount – Ive and his staff considered it as a stage greater than a chunk of furnishings.
‘The podium is on the coronary heart of our enterprise,’ says Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan. ‘I really feel blessed that for our 260th anniversary, we are able to unveil this outstanding object as our legacy for Christie’s future.’
