Designs That Stand The Test Of Time: 6 For 5 on Classic Fritz Hansen Dining Chairs
They say you can’t improve on an icon. You can tinker around the edges, switch up the colours here and there, but the reason they transcend the trappings of time lies in their simple, essentialist forms.
Such smooth, evocative shapes were the forte of Arne Jacobsen, a Danish architect and designer, known today as the Father of Functionalism. Over the course of his lifetime, he would revolutionise the art of seating, bringing forth a variety of sinuous chairs that would earn their place in the annals of Nordic design.
To help you get back around the table with those you love most this autumn, we’ve teamed up with Fritz Hansen to offer a special 6 for 5 deal on two of Jacobsen’s most iconic designs: the curvy Series 7 and the sporty Grand Prix.
The Chairs
Having cemented his reputation across Denmark as an avant-guard architect, in 1950, Arne Jacobsen was keen to try his hand at furniture design. He brought forth a flurry of stylish chairs, among them the Grand Prix and the Series 7.
Moulding the laminated wood into their distinctive curves would prove an immense challenge, one that required a deep understanding of how the material performs under pressure. For guidance, Jacobsen went back to nature, spending hours in his garden observing the suppleness of saplings and how best to absorb this quality into a static, finished object. With a little guidance from the experts at Fritz Hansen, they finally arrived at the chairs’ final form — a deceptively simple, sleek silhouette crafted from 9 sheets of stunning veneer.
The Legacy
The Series 7 and Grand Prix chairs were beautiful yet practical — a shining example of “democratic design” as it came to be known during the mid-century. Smaller homes could indulge in the metal-legged variants which were easily stackable and wonderfully robust. Meanwhile, larger residences could choose between beautifully upholstered or armrest versions. In just a few short years, he achieved what other designers took decades to accomplish. There was an Arne Jacobsen chair for everybody.
The Styling
Mix’n’Match
