In 1981, a major fire broke out after lightning struck the Vitra factory, razing most of the production facilities in the furniture manufacturer’s headquarters in Weil am Rhein, Germany. This disaster proved to be a turning point for the Swiss design company, which saw the misfortune as an opportunity to construct a new chapter for the site, now dubbed Vitra Campus.
Just before the fire, Vitra’s chairman emeritus Rolf Fehlbaum started collecting modern furniture in 1980, with the goal of opening a design museum. After the fire broke out, the eldest son of Vitra founders Willi and Erika Fehlbaum put forth the idea
