Iconic Arne Jacobsen dining chairs get a new colour palette
Fritz Hansen enlists Italian curator Carla Sozzani to devise a new chromatic palette for Arne Jacobsen's iconic dining chairs
Danish company Fritz Hansen has joined forces with design curator and gallerist Carla Sozzani to present ‘A Sense of Colour’, a collection featuring iconic Arne Jacobsen chairs in a novel colour palette.
The plywood designs, originally conceived by Jacobsen between 1952 and 1957 and still successfully in production to this day, feature nimble silhouettes and a stackable structure. Their sinuous lines are a recurring element in all of Jacobsen’s production, from the embracing Egg chair to the slim lines of his dining chairs. Fritz Hansen has been producing the Danish design master’s work and preserving his legacy, also mixing it with new contemporary influences that keep the design memory alive.
Carla Sozzani worked closely with Fritz Hansen’s head of design Christian Andresen to select a warm palette of 16 new shades. The early steps of the collaboration included some colour workshops at Sozzani’s Paris studio, narrowing down the palette. ‘One of the primary goals were to create a collection united by a warm tone, a red thread so to speak,’ explains Andersen. ‘This was achieved by every colour having a splash of red.’
The ‘A Sense of Colour’ collection includes deep red, blue and green shades punctuated by yellow, orange and pastels as well as neutral touches of clay and beige. ‘From the dark green and blue of shifting waves and sky, to the pinks and ochres of small shells and a fading seashore in twilight, the palette came naturally as I explored the essence of daylight and its partner: night, to capture the essence of our shared colour harmonies,’ Sozzani explains poetically. Her approach to colour is closely linked to light and darkness, and the resulting chromatic composition she curated is played on the tension between the two.
‘I imagined what Mr. Jacobsen might have thought when he made his first palette [for the Series 7 chair] in 1955. Perhaps, as the North and South Poles are always in relationship, he also explored this relation between the light and the darkness,’ ponders Sozzani. ‘Because both Italy and Denmark are bound by our relationship to the sea, the colours and influences of the objects of the sea – shells and seaweeds; small sea creatures, and the sands along the beaches – offered naturally a spectrum of colour possibilities to explore.’
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Art, culture, watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver’s gift guide
From a Beryl Cook cushion to an offbeat diamond ring, there's something for everyone on this Wallpaper* editor's gift guide, embracing art, culture and style
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Feldspar makes its mark on Mayfair with a festive pop-up at Corinthia Hotel
Devon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
By Ali Morris Published
-
Dip into Wyld sauna: Liverpool's floating Finnish-style destination for lovers of extreme heat
Wyld sauna has opened in Liverpool, offering the perfect excuse to take a dive into the Nordic wellness tradition
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Arne Jacobsen’s lamps for St Catherine’s College are now available from Louis Poulsen
Louis Poulsen present the ‘AJ Oxford Table Lamp’ series, conceived by Arne Jacobsen for St Catherine's College, Oxford, and now put into production for the first time
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Fritz Hansen’s new collections celebrate the past while looking to the future
Ahead of its 150th anniversary, Fritz Hansen launches a new light by Kasper Kjeldgaard and a tempting assortment of updated classics
By TF Chan Last updated
-
Fritz Hansen marks its 150th anniversary with new collection
Fritz Hansen’s ‘Anniversary Collection’ features reissues of iconic pieces by Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm, presented during 3 Days of Design 2022 (15 – 17 June)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Best of Danish design (and more) from Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design
A selection of the best new spaces and furniture launches from Danish and international brands and designers, shown at Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design 2021
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Frama’s first atelier collection pays homage to modernist Kaare Klint
Copenhagen-based design brand Frama pays homage the father of Danish furniture design, Kaare Klint, with a new atelier collection
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Copper feel: Lumière Bricoleur turns scrap metal into sculptural lamps
The duo’s first collection, mostly rendered in copper, is sourced on Copenhagen's streets and scrapyards
By Harriet Lloyd Smith Last updated
-
Kvadrat’s blind collection plays with transparency and tone
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec design the Kvadrat Shade range with window covering specialist, Coulisse
By Alice Morby Last updated
-
Nendo and Fritz Hansen design fully recycled plastic chair
Take an exclusive look at N02 Recycle, a moulded, stackable chair system made from upcycled household plastic, Polypropylene
By Laura May Todd Last updated