ALF SVENSSON

Alf Svensson was a swedish architect and designer. Mainly known for his chairs Svensson also designed storage units, tables and lighting throughout the 1950's and 1960's. Often in association with producers Dux and Fritz Hansen.

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ALVAR AALTO

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) enjoyed an exceptionally rich and varied career as an architect and designer, both at home in Finland and abroad.

After qualifying as an architect from Helsinki Institute of Technology (later Helsinki University of Technology and now part of the Aalto University) in 1921, Aalto set up his first architectural practice in Jyväskylä. His early works followed the tenets of Nordic Classicism, the predominant style at that time. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he made a number of journeys to Europe on which he and his wife Aino Marsio, also an architect, became familiar with the latest trends in Modernism, the International Style.

The pure Functionalist phase in Aalto’s work lasted for several years. It enabled him to make an international breakthrough, largely because of Paimio Sanatorium (1929-1933), an important Functionalist milestone. Aalto had adopted the principals of user-friendly, functional design in his architecture. From the late 1930s onwards, the architectural expression of Aalto’s buildings became enriched by the use of organic forms, natural materials and increasing freedom in the handling of space.

It was characteristic of Aalto to treat each building as a complete work of art – right down to the furniture and light fittings. In 1935, Artek was formed to promote the growing production and sales of Aalto furniture. The design of his furniture combined practicality and aesthetics with series production, following the main Artek idea of encouraging a more beautiful everyday life in the home. As far as design was concerned, Aalto was driven by an interest in glass since it provided an opportunity to handle the material in a new kind of way using free forms. His win in the Karhula-Iittala glassware design competition in 1936 led to the birth of the world-famous Savoy vase.

 

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ARNE JACOBSEN

Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) is one of the most important and successful contributors to modern Danish architecture and design in history. Born in Copenhagen in 1902, he worked as a stone mason up until 1924 when he enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture.

Before even graduating, Jacobsen had already made a name for himself by winning a silver medal for a chair design at the 1925 Paris Art Deco fair, ‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes’. On graduating in 1927 he obtained a job at Copenhagen city architect Poul Holsøe's architectural practice. Continuing to stand out within the architecture world, in 1929 he won a Danish Architect's Association competition, for a project that he and Flemming Lassen collaborated on titled "House of the Future”.

The project that he is probably most remembered for is the SAS Royal Hotel Copenhagen (1956-1960) as it was this that saw him design not only the building but everything from the furniture – including the iconic Egg and Swan chairs – to the gifts sold in the shop.

In 1956, Jacobsen returned to the Royal Danish Academy and taught architecture for 11 years (1956-1965). However, he continued to design products and buildings right up to his unexpected death in 1971.Today his legacy as an avant-garde designer lives on through his architecture and products that are as popular as ever.

 

ARNE HOVMAND-OLSEN

Arne was born and raised in Kirkeby Sogn in the middle of Denmark. He was the eldest of five children. Though born into a farming family his fondness for drawing from a young age quickly guided him to a future which belonged to a more creative field. He apprenticed to a cabinetmaker P. Olsen Sibast in 1938 after which in 1941he studied furniture design at Aarhus. Once qualified, Arne started his own studio.

He produced a range of work but is probably best known for his chairs. His style bore many recognisable characteristics. Such as the floating floating body of work above the distinctive arched legs, apparent to many chests, sideboards and tables he designed.

 

 

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ARNE VODDER

Born in Denmark , architect Arne Vodder (1926-2009) studied in Copenhagen under his friend and mentor the legendary Danish designer Finn Juhl. The pair later worked together as they went on to establish themselves as the pre-eminent Scandinavian designers of the mid-century period.

Mr Vodder started designing furniture for Fritz Hansen, France and Son and Sibast, the latter for which he designed a wide range of furniture which received worldwide recognition and success. His beautiful designs were subtly detailed and modest in their expression. Draw and cupboard handles in organic shapes were seamlessly integrated into the overall designs.

Today, Vodder is perhaps most appreciated for his beautiful rosewood and teak sideboards designed in the 1950's-1960's, produced by Sibast Furniture. Arne’s designs from the period, with their stylish materials and exacting proportions, remain contemporary and modern; in strong demand more than 50 years after they were last produced.

 

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BERNHARD PEDERSEN & SONS

Bernard Pedersen and Sons is a cabinet makers business since 1902. Still producing in-house designed furniture today

 

 

BORGE MØGENSEN

Børge Mogensen was born in Aalborg, Denmark. He started as a cabinetmaker in 1934, and studied furniture design at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen from 1936 to 1938, and then trained as an architect (from 1938 to 1942) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture.

From 1938 to 1943 he worked at various design studios in Copenhagen, including with Kaare Klint

The collaboration in ideas and influence of Klint is very evident in early works; Hunting chairs (1950), Spanish chair (1959)

 

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BRAMIN

Bramin mobler or N A Jorgensen Møbelfabrik, as it was originally founded, was a prolific Danish furniture maker from the 1950’s to the 1980’s.

During the companies most successful period it was producing designs by Hans Olsen, Kurt Østervig, Johannes Andersen though the company is best know for its designs by Henry Walter Klein. H W Klein moved from his native Norway to work for the company. His most celebrated designs are his leather swivel chair and his furniture suites with distinctive joints and sculpted inlay work to handles.

The company, like many, became victim to the global recession of the 1980’s.                                                                 

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BRUNO MATHSSON 

Bruno Matthson was the son of a Swedish cabinet maker.

Alongside Alvar Aalto, Mathsson was a pioneer in the utilisation of laminated wood to create curves and create a flowing design aesthetic. 

In 1931 Mathsson first production was the 'Grasshopper' chair. 

Mathsson was also synonymous with the use of woven hemp strapping.

                       

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CARL AXEL ACKING

Carl-Axel Acking was a Swedish architect and furniture designer. He studied at the Stockholm School of Engineering (1931-1934) and the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (1935-1939).

Furniture design was only one facet of Ackings' architecture and design career. One of his most notable creations is the 'Tokyo' chair (1959). Designed for the Swedish embassy in Tokyo it is strikingly similar to Wegners round chair. 

 

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CARL JACOBS 

There is little information about this Danish designer who was born in 1925. Certainly his most celebrated creation is the ‘Jason’ chair which was designed in 1950 for the British manufacturer Kandya and went into production in 1951.

This striking and beautiful chair is sculpted from a single sheet of flexible beech plywood that wraps around the chair and joins below. Not only sculpturally beautiful it is also stackable.

The chair was later modified by Frank Guille with the change from solid beech legs to steel.

 

 

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CHRISTIAN DELL

Christian Dell was born in Offenbach am Main in Hesse. He completed the silver forging studies at the academy in 1911 and from 1912-13 he studied at the Saxon college of arts and crafts in Weimar. From 1922 to 1925 he worked as a foreman of the metal workshop at the Bauhaus in Weimar where he was the man behind a highly innovative and pioneering style of design.

Dell designed for lamp factory Gebr. Kaiser & Co in Neheim Hüsten. Most commonly known for his luxus 6631 design commonly known as the 'Kaiser Idell' lamps. This though is just one of his many designs. 

ERIK BUCH

Erik Buch was a Danish industrial designer. He designed furniture such as chairs, stools and cabinets with an organic and functional aesthetic.

His Model 49 Dining chairs with a floating seat design have been produced and copied on an epic scale. As have the simpler model 89. Though his finest chairs are the model 66/67

Another iconic design are his Model 61 bar stools

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ERNEST RACE

Ernest Race is probably the pre-eminent British furniture designer of the 20th Century.

He was born in Newcastle and studied interior design at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. He first worked as a draughtsman for London lighting manufacturer Troughton & Young before establishing his own company, Race Fabrics, selling his textile designs.

After the war, Race founded Ernest Race Ltd. Post war rationing, shortages in basic raw materials and the governments push towards utilitarianism was the foundation behind some of Race’s most iconic designs. Ensconced in this idealism was the the BA3 chair which was in part produced from aluminium salvaged from war time aircraft.

The ‘Antelope’ chair was designed for the 1951 Festival of Britain and won a gold medal. Other designs include the ‘Heron’ chair (1956), the ‘Flamingo’ chair (1959) and the ‘Sheppey’ chair.

 

 

FINN JUHL

Finn Juhl was a Danish architect, interior designer and industrial designer and a leading light in the design of Danish Midcentury furniture.

Finn Juhl had ambitions to follow a career in Art History but was persuaded by his father to instead pursue a career in architecture. Finn studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1930 to 1934.

Following graduation, and for the next 10 years, he worked for the architectural firm Vilhelm Lauritzen. In 1937 Finn collaborated with Niels Vodder, a cabinet maker to begin chair production and exhibit at the Copenhagen Cabinet Makers Guild exhibition.  This collaboration lasted until 1959.

In 1945, Finn left Vilhelm Lauritzen and set up his own design practice, in Copenhagen, specializing in interior and furniture design. 

 

FOLKE OHLSSON

Folke Ohlsson was a Swedish designer who began his career working in his father's cabinetmaking workshop. He then studied architecture at Lund University in Sweden.

In 1953 Ohlsson moved to the United States and established DUX incorporated. The US arm of Ljungs Industrier, for whom Ohlsson had worked for as a designer. 

DUX incorporated, for whom Ohlsson continued to design, introduced flat-packed Scandinavian furniture from Sweden to the US. It also introduced the US to other Swedish designers such as Alf Svensson.

 

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FRANCE & SON

France & Son (originally France & Daverkosen) are probably the most well known manufacturer of Danish modern furniture.

Founded in 1948 by the British businessman Charles France and his Danish partner Inger Daverkosen. In the early years the company was called France & Daverkosen, Charles's son James joined the company in 1957 which resulted in the name change to France & Son.

The company was at the forefront of the move to produce modern Danish furniture on a truly industrial scale with no compromise in quality. Under the stewardship and business acumen of Charles France the company made innovative strides such as the move to a purpose built factory, the development of the use of cam bolt connectors, which enabled the furniture to be flat packed and re-assembled at the showroom or home.

The company boasted the who's who of designers amongst its celebrated furniture output. These included Arne Vodder, Finn Juhl, Grete Jalk, Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard Nielsen, Ole Wanscher, Inger Klingenberg, Edvard & Tove Kindt Larsen.

In 1967 the company was sold to Poul Cadovius who later renamed the company to Cado and largely became a producer of modular wall furniture.

 

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FREDRIK A KAYSER     

Fredrik A. Kayser was a Norwegian furniture designer. He was born in Bergen, and educated at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry.

Fredrik was introduced to the world of design at a young age through his family’s furniture business. Apprenticed as a carpenter, Kayser’s first chair design was put into production by Viken Møbelfabrikk when he was just fifteen years old.

From 1945 to 1946, he worked for design firm Rastad & Relling in Oslo before opening his own factory in Bergen. Unfortunately his business was unsuccessful, and he returned to his previous employer in capital, where he stayed from 1952 to 1956, he worked.

In 1956, Kayser founded his own design studio, and worked as a freelancer for various chair and furniture manufacturers, such as Gustav Bahus and Viken Mobelfabrikk, where he designed the teak and rosewood Hertug sideboard. Kayser became head designer of Vatne Lenestolfabrikk, creating furniture that could be easily shipped and assembled. This new collection, shown at the export fair in Helsingør in 1958, was well-received both in Norway and internationally. The partnership, which lasted until Kayser’s death in 1968, was his most successful venture, some designs from which are still in production today including the rosewood and teak 807 Easy Chair (1965) and the high-backed 965 Lounge Chair (1960s).

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GRETE JALK

Grete Jalk was born in Copenhagen. After graduating from high school in modern languages and philosophy, she studied at the Design School for Women (1940–43) under cabinetmaker Karen Margrethe Conradsen. She completed her studies at the Danish Design School in 1946, while receiving additional instruction from Kaare Klint at the Royal Academy's Furniture School. Jalk made a name for herself with the work she did from her own design office for Fritz Hansen and Poul Jeppesen, and for her annual appearance at the Cabinetmakers' Guild shows.

Prolific and versatile, she is known both for her individual pieces and for her ability to create entire environments finely tuned to their inhabitant's needs.

 

GUSTAV BAHUS

Gustav Bahus was a Norwegian furniture manufacturer responsible for manufacturing some of the most iconic Norwegian designs from designers Rolf Rastad & Adolf Relling, Fredrik Kayser and Alf Aarseth.

 

 

HADRILL & HORSTMANN

Sidney Adolph Horstmann, was the son of Gustav, a German clock maker who had moved to Britain in 1850. The family were extremely industrious and inventive. Gustav designed the world's first micrometer with an accuracy greater than 1/10000 of an inch. Sidney and his brothers founded 'Horstmann gear' to produce a variable speed gearbox for cars and motorcycles. The firm later became a general engineering company and came to specialise in gas street lighting controls, time switches, gauges, and latterly central heating controls. They also founded a car manufacturing company called 'Horstmann cars' 

But it is the post world World War II company, Hadrill & Horstmann, for which he is most revered. This new electrical engineering company was established with George Hadrill. It became well known for creating architectural counterbalanced lamps.

 

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HANS BRATTRUD

Hans Brattrud (born 25 September 1933 in Dokka ) is a Norwegian designer and architect.

Brattrud most famously creation was the Scandia series as a school project as early as 1957. However, due to production difficulties, he was unable to produce the chairs.

In 1958, for the first time, Brattrud saw laminated wood products at a trade fair in Germany. He realized that this was the appropriate method for the production of his Scandia series, which began in 1961. The chairs sold around the world and quickly became a Scandinavian classic.

HANS WEGNER

Hans J. Wegner (Danish, 1914–2007) was a renowned furniture designer associated with Organic Functionalism. Born in southern Denmark, Wegner apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, and later attended the Danish School of Arts and Crafts and the Architectural Academy in Copenhagen.

In 1940, Wegner began a collaboration with Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller to build and design furniture for the Århus City Hall. Also in 1940, Wegner worked with the seminal modern designer Johannes Hansen. In 1942, Wegner sold a piece of furniture to the then Copenhagen Industrial Art Museum (now the Design Museum Denmark). A year later, Wegner opened his own design studio, and, in 1944, he designed his first China Chair in a series inspired by the thrones of Chinese emperors. The most famous chair in this series, the Wishbone Chair, was mass produced by Carl Hansen & Sons

Like many of his furniture pieces, the chair was characterized by traditional joinery techniques and sculpted elements. Wegner was also known for his use of traditional construction in the creation of upholstered pieces, and often worked in several materials, including wood, plywood, metal, caning, and papercord, always with an emphasis on functionality.

Wegner received a number of awards and honors throughout his career. These include an appointment as an honorary member of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London. He was also the first recipient of the Lunning Prize and received the 8th International Design Award in Osaka, Japan. His works have been shown major institutions around the world, such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York and Die Neue Sammlung in Munich.

Wegner died in Denmark in 2007.

 

HENRY ROSENGREN HANSEN

Henry Rosengren Hansen was a Danish designer who studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. 

He designed sideboards and dining furniture Brande Møbelindustr, Roche Bobois and Skovby among others. 

 

HVIDT & MØLGAARD

In 1944 Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard opened a design studio which ran until 1975. 

Orla Mølgaard, born in 1907 in Aalborg, had trained at the Aalborg Technical School (1924) and at the Art and Crafts School of the Design Museum in Copenhagen (1928), Mølgaard later studied furniture design under Kaare Klint at the Royal Danish Academy for Fine Arts(1931–1934).

Peter Hvidt.,born in Copenhagen in 1916, had studied at the design school in Copenhagen.

Among their most celebrated furniture designs are the Ax chair (1950), the Boomerang chair (1956), the X chair (1959).

 

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IB KOFOD LARSEN

Ib Kofod-Larsen was born Denmark in 1921 and studied at the Danish Royal Academy in Copenhagen.

Larsen designed furniture for a host of different manufacturers both in Denmark and internationally.

He is credited with re-invigorating the Swedish furniture making industry at Christensen & Larsen by creating what became known as the ‘Elizabeth’ chair. Having purportedly been named such after a purchase by the British head of state in 1958. Also the ‘seal or ‘Salen’ chair for OPE Sweden.

As well as being known for his opulent chairs, amongst his most famous is the considerably more utilitarian ‘Penguin’ chair (1953). He was also an influential designer of sideboards, most notably for the Danish maker Faarup Mobelfabrik.

Larsen also modernised the collection for British furniture house, G Plan.

 

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ILLUM WIKKESLØ

 Illum Wikkelsø (1919–1999) was a Danish furniture designer, trained as a cabinetmaker and at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen.

He worked with leading Danish makers including Niels Eilersen, Holger Christiansen, and Søren Willadsen. Wikkelsø is best known for his sculptural lounge chairs and sofas

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INGER KLINGENBERG

Inger Klingenberg was educated at the school of interior design in Copenhagen. She established her own design firm in 1958 in Copenhagen and designed furniture, fabrics and jewelry.  

 

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ISAMU NOGUCHI

Isamu Noguchi was an American artist, furniture designer and landscape architect whose career spanned six decades from the 1920s.

Throughout his career Noguchi expanded his multidisciplinary practice to include iconic design objects such as akari lamps made from washi paper, bamboo, and wire, and the iconic glass-topped table that he produced for Herman Miller. 

 

 

 

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JOHANNES ANDERSEN