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Artist and furniture maker Fred Baier was commissioned in 2010 to create new objects for the House of Lords Library. His two creations, the book chariot, and table and chairs, now reside in the Millbank Library. His brief was to draw on the House of Lords Library as a source of inspiration, and create pieces that relate to the work of Parliament. 

About the Artist

Fred Baier is an artist whose work lies at the crossover between furniture and sculpture. He sees himself ‘more as an explorer than a designer’ and uses innovative materials and techniques to explore his observations about contemporary life.  

Born in Kingston-Upon-Hull, Yorkshire, Baier studied at Birmingham College of Art and the Royal College of Art. His mantra, ‘Form Swallows Function’, captures his belief in pushing the limits of furniture design beyond its traditional purpose. He draws inspiration from industrial forms and processes and was an early adopter of 3D Computer Assisted Design (CAD) as a creative tool.   

Baier’s work is held in major public collections including Templeton College, Oxford, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.  

Making the Commissions

In Autumn 2010, Fred Baier served as Artist-In-Residence in the House of Lords Library, in the Palace of Westminster. His six week residency allowed him to immerse himself in the historic setting and understand the working practices of library staff and users. Parliament commissioned these objects for the new Millbank Library space, which opened in 2011.  

The two orange varnished wooden chairs have a blue shiny surfaced cushion. They are tucked in to the Table Fred Baier created at a diagonal from each other. The Table has a light wooden surface with the grain visible and an orange varnish around the rim. It is a long table in a capsule shape. The base of the table has a thick blue circle with four blue shallow wedges fanning out from it. These each have 4 silver metallic ridges on them- facing upwards. From each of the four wedges is an orange varnished wooden pole pointing up with four blue wooden planks attached at a diagonal, fanning out from the top of the pole to the base of the table to support the surface.
Photograph of the table and chairs created by furniture maker and artist Fred Baier. © UK Parliament POW 10778

Baier created a book trolley, table and pair of chairs. His use of oak, leather and brass-coloured metal offers continuity with the interiors of the Palace Library designed in the 1840s by the architects A.W.N. Pugin and Charles Barry. Here, he employs these materials in strikingly modern forms, creating objects that are both functional and works of art.   

Photograph of the Book Trolley which is in the Millbank Library with two books on the side book stand and three books on the front facing book stand.
The Book Chariot is a stylised book trolley. From the side view there is a cylindrical barrel within an orange metal circular hoop around it with a larger thick wooden hoop encompassing the barrel and the hoop. The wood on the outer concentric circle has visible grain and has an orange varnish. There is a dark blue matt painted handle for manoeuvring the chariot which points to the left from the top of the circular structure. Beneath the handle there is a triangular structure with a wheel on the bottom to stabilise the cylinder and provide more shelving space. On top there is a blue book stand facing the side and back. The book chariot is standing in the Millbank Library on some grey patterned carpet in front of a cream wall with two large windows.
Photographs of the book chariot in Millbank Library created by furniture maker and artist Fred Baier. Photographs taken by the House of Lords Communications Team.

The most prominent piece is the ceremonial book chariot, a book trolley made of oak. Book trolleys are used to move books and journals around the library space and are central to the library’s work. The sculptural forms and rich colours are echoed in the oval table, and the chairs, which are crafted from oak and upholstered in blue cotton.  

Further sketches by Fred Baier in the process of designing the book trolley. One sketch is named “The Pram” and shows a vehicle with a cylindrical drum with two wheels on each side of it. On top of the drum is a surface shaped like an unrolled scroll that curves up on each side. One sketch shows a yellow mace with the words “Mace-Push-Pull” underneath, illustrating that the mace could be a handle with which to manoeuvre the chariot. Another sketch shows a cylindrical drum with four legs coming from the sides with a wheel on each. The last sketch shows a cylindrical drum within another cylinder with two symmetrical sets of shelves rested against the drum almost meeting at the top and two handles on top. This sketch is the most similar to the final design of the Book Chariot.
Pencil drawn sketch showing the book chariot from an elevated diagonal angle with arrows showing it can move backwards and forwards.
Technical line drawing using a ruler and compass showing the dimensions and proportions of the Book Chariot from side view and front view. Some angles and lengths are noted on the drawing. Labelled on the drawing are the faceted cylinder in the centre of the book chariot, the skateboard wheels used as bearings between the central drum and the outer drum and the words “maybe a caster here too to prevent tipping” pointed at the front of the chariot.
A quarter of the base of Fred Baier’s Table shows a circular base with a wedge coming from it, a pole from the wedge upwards and another pole bolding onto the circular base and attaching around the pole and continuing on up in a diagonal trajectory.
A quarter of the base of Fred Baier’s Table shows a circular base with a wedge coming from it, a pole from the wedge upwards and another pole bolding onto the circular base and attaching around the pole and continuing on up in a diagonal trajectory.
A page with many colourful sketches of contraptions inspired by book trolleys which show the thought process of Baier while creating the Book Chariot. One contraption is named “The Tractor” and is red and purple with a large handle shaped like a chalice to push with. It is shaped like a traditional book trolley but with larger back wheels. Another is called “The Lawn Mower” and is blue and shaped like a wedge with raised cylindrical shapes in the tapered end by the point and a shelf on the flat edge at the back. One unnamed contraption is a tractor wheel with a cyan shelf on top with magenta handle. The other sketches are extrapolated elements of book trolleys including two sketches of wheels, like those on a supermarket trolley and two sketches of tilted book stands back to back joined together to form a roof shape.
Sketches made of the book chariot and table by Fred Baier. Images from Fred Baier’s personal archive with permission from artist.

About the House of Lords Library

The House of Lords Library provides impartial research and information services to support Members of the House of Lords, their staff, and staff of the House. The Palace Library primarily serves Members, although Research Assistants and staff are welcome to consult Library staff in the Queen’s Room. The Millbank House Library is open to Members, Research Assistants and staff.  

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