Nendo and Fritz Hansen embrace design synergy with new launch at Salone del Mobile
When design studio Nendo teamed up with manufacturer Fritz Hansen, they found they were speaking the same design language.
Set to launch at the Salone del Mobile (17-22 April), the N01 dining chair is a perfect meeting of Japanese and Danish design sensibilities. Its designer, Tokyo-based studio Nendo, worked closely with Copenhagen-based Fritz Hansen to create a strong chair with a lightweight appearance.
A gently curved seat and back panel are crafted from nine layers of veneer while the frame, with its subtle incline that embraces the body, is made from solid wood.
Remarkably, although the Danish brand is renowned for its expertise in plywood moulding (some of its most famous chairs such as the Ant and Series7 use the technique) N01 is the Danish brand’s first solid wood chair since the Grand Prix chair by Arne Jacobsen in 1957.
‘It was exciting to learn that,’ enthuses Oki Sato, founder of Nendo. ‘A wooden chair is not an easy product for a designer to make. It is one of the most difficult and one’s personal mentality or philosophy can be expressed through it. Our goal was to finalise a chair which is contemporary, yet maintains the traditional and historical feel of the brand.’
Every time the Nendo team visited Fritz Hansen’s workshop in Belgium – which was every month in the final stages – a new prototype was produced. Uncompromising, Nendo reviewed and refined the design at every stage before arriving at the perfect balance of strength and comfort.
‘This productive process of product development was one of the highlights of my 15-year long career as a designer,’ reflects Sato. ‘It truly was a collaborative process between Fritz Hansen and us. As a result, I do not remember much about the first brief, and I am not even sure if I have actually designed the chair; I feel that we (Nendo and Fritz Hansen) made this chair together as a team.’
To create its appearance of lightness, the brand’s standard production processes had to be challenged. Ordinarily, the joint where the frame and shell meet is thickened to increase strength, which often results in an impression of heaviness. To prevent this, the teams worked together to create a joint that made the frame and shell appear as if they were touching as little as possible.
‘The difficulty with a wooden chair is that even a small change of size – for example even less than 1mm – can greatly change its appearance and level of seating comfort,’ explains Sato. ‘By changing the shape of the legs or the arms from that of a column to an ellipse, or by narrowing down the edge, or by giving a slight roundness or curve to it, the chair can be given a totally different character.’
The final design is comprised of 23 parts made from a mix of solid wood and veneer. Each piece crafted industrially at a family-owned wood manufacturer in Belgium founded 1924, before being assembled by hand at Fritz Hansen’s Belgium workshop. Its puzzle-like assembly ensures a seamless construction with even the smallest inaccuracies causing the production to start over.
‘If you sit on it, you will notice that this is a Fritz Hansen chair,’ concludes Sato. If you live with it, you will realise that this is pure Japanese design.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Nendo website and Fritz Hansen website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.
-
The Volkswagen Passat is a sober, straight edged estate car that feels increasingly out of time
Why would anyone pass on a Passat? Volkswagen’s big load lugger proves that the old ideas are still the best
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Italian designer Enrico Marone Cinzano fuses natural perfection with industrial imperfection
Enrico Marone Cinzano's first solo show at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery debuts collectible furniture designs that marry organic materials with upcycled industrial components
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Tom Wesselmann’s enduring influence on pop art goes under the spotlight in Paris
‘Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &...’ is on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 24 February 2025
By Ann Binlot Published
-
Faye Toogood brings new life to Matisse’s legacy
Milan Design Week 2023: tapped by Maison Matisse, the London-based designer has taken inspiration from the French master’s forms to create a collection of heirloom-worthy objects
By Sam Rogers Published
-
Prada Frames 2023: Milan programme announced
Programme announced for Prada Frames 2023 at Milan Design Week, the annual symposium curated by Formafantasma at Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Teatro Filodrammatici from 17 to 19 April
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutlery
Best Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Salone del Mobile 2023: highlights from Milan Design Week
In pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week, held during the 61st Salone del Mobile 2023 (18-23 April)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Five unique tables up for auction by &Tradition and Bruun Rasmussen
&Tradition and Bruun Rasmussen present Studies of a Table, featuring designers from five countries exploring design approaches to the table
By Jeni Porter Published
-
Nendo’s collaborations with Kyoto artisans go on view in New York
‘Nendo sees Kyoto’ is on view at Friedman Benda (until 15 October 2022), showcasing the design studio's collaboration with six artisans specialised in ancient Japanese crafts
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furniture
Following an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
‘You don't want space; you want to fill it’: Milan exhibition
Making its debut during Milan Design Week 2022 at Marsèll Paradise, a new exhibition by Matylda Krzykowski, explores how we approach the space we live in (until 15 July 2022)
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Last updated