Remaining in celebratory mood…..

Twenty five years after the young guns of European modernism gathered in Stuttgart to open the Weissenhof Siedlung, a “somewhat ageing” Danish architect, who as a student had been greatly influenced by the works of European modernism, was about to make his global breakthrough with a chair design which as much as any represents the post-War break with modernism and the fearless march into the new, uncertain, world.

Happy 60th Birthday the Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen!

Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen

As with many classics of furniture design the Ant Chair has relatively unspectacular origins; specifically, it was initially conceived as a chair for a new canteen Jacobsen was designing for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo.

However, early on in the project’s development Jacobsen made contact with Fritz Hansen, a company with whom he had worked on projects in the past and who, more importantly, were in possession of the machines and know-how Jacobsen required for the moulded plywood seat.

And as luck would have it Fritz Hansen were at that moment in time on the look out for an all purpose chair that could compete with the new products by Charles and Ray Eames for Hermann Miller.

1+1= History.

However, despite the chairs unquestionable success, and in a similar vein to many of Egon Eiermann’s chair designs from the same period, the Ant Chair has long attracted criticism on account of its perceived similarity with the works of Charles and Ray Eames. Indeed at the formal presentation of the chair on October 3rd 1952 Finn Juhl is alleged to have commented to Arne Jacobsen on the likeness.¹

Where Egon Eiermann could always claim that any similarity was down to shared inspiration; with the Ant the fact that Fritz Hansen obtained an Eames’ DCM in order to help Jacobsen understand what they were doing, does make it all look a bit suspicious.

Or would were it not for the fact that the Ant Chair contains a couple of very important innovations that sets it far above the Eames’ work of that period.

Firstly, it was the first 3D moulded plywood chair featuring a single, unified seat and back unit. The seat shell of the DCM, for example, is also folded vertically and horizontally, is however not attached to the back rest.

In successfully realising this important construction process it was not insignificant that Fritz Hansen as a company started out in 1872 bending wood à la Michael Thonet, and so by the time they were trying to mould Jacobsen’s plywood shell had 80 years experience in heating and forming wood.

Successfully bending the plywood was, however, only the first part of the problem. The shell had to be stable, which meant it had to be stable around the bend where seat flows into back.

Jacobsen achieved this stability through the inspired addition of the cut-out slit and rounded, curvaceous “waist” – a sober, technical solution that gives the chair is characteristic form. And name.

Two ladies? A lamp? ... Neither. Its inspired genius!

Equally important as the technical innovation Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen achieved with the shell is the fact that the Ant is stackable.

For Jacobsen a stackable chair was paramount for its intended function – not only its original intended function as a cafeteria chair, but also for its new intended function as a multi-purpose chair in private homes – however, up until that point stacking chairs were more the exception than the rule. Charles and Ray Eames, for example, wouldn’t create a successful mass producible stacking chair design until the 1955 DSS.

And in this context comes a second highly contenious issue: the three legs of the original Ant Chair.

For Jacobsen the three legs of the Ant were non-negotiable. The Ant was to be a three legged chair. Period.

Not only did such a construction aid the stackability, but for him it also meant there was less chance of the legs getting tangled up in one another in a hectic cafeteria situation.

Just one example of how as a chair the Ant is brutally reduced down to aid its functionality, something that of course nods back to the very best of European modernism.

For many of Jacobsen’s contemporaries however the three legged chair was an unstable insanity, and indeed such was the commotion that in 1955 Jacobsen was more or less forced by Fritz Hansen to devise a four legged version. However, at Jacobsen’s instance it remained an under the counter product that wasn’t officially marketed by Fritz Hansen until after Jacobsen’s death in 1971.

While it is fair to say that the later Series 7 chair with its more top hat like back rest is probably better known today than the Ant – not least because of the tastelessly obscene number of look-a-like products on the market or indeed that tastefully obscene Christine Keeler photo – the Ant Chair remains one of the most important chairs in post-War European furniture design and an object that everyone with an interest in good design should study and understand.

Happy 60th Birthday!

1. “Arne Jacobsen” by Carsten Thau und Kjeld Vindum.Danish Architectural Press, Kopenhagen 2002

Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen

Luddites!

Not a phrase normally associated with (smow)

To the best of our knowledge no (smow)employee has ever smashed an iPad or capped a WiFi service in protest at the creeping and increasingly obsessive proliferation of technology into our lives.

Despite that, the early summer weeks in the (smow)HQ were dominated by the preparation and production of the very first (smow)catalogue.

That’s print catalogue.

So on paper.

With ink.

Luddites?

Au contraire nos amis!

Not only is the production of such an analogue catalogue technologically more challenging than coding with that “any-fool-can-do” HTML; but, just as the mechanisation of the textile mills offered the oppressed masses their first, golden, taste of leisure time – so does a print catalogue help us to regain that.

Turn off the computer, enjoy a break, peruse a catalogue. And then turn the computer back on and order.

In addition to featuring a selection of products from the (smow) range the (smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011 also includes biographical information on some of the most important designers and a range of specially commissioned photos of products from USM Haller, Vitra, Moormann, Richard Lampert et al

And is a mighty fine piece of work. Well done to all involved!

If you’d be interested in seeing the finished work, or know someone who would appreciate a copy, please contact service@smow.de (NOTE: It is only available in German)

And at facebook.com/smowcom we have posted a photo gallery documenting the production process.

(smow) Designer Furniture Catalogue 2011

Danish Design Prize Winner: VELUX lystunnel by Ross Lovegrove

Timely to the end of our rantings against the current state of Danish design – the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen recently hosted the Danish Design Prize awards 2010/11

In his introduction the Danish Design Centre CEO Christian Scherfig asks ” … what is good design in the 21st century ?”

The DDCs answer is 11 prize winners from 17 nominations in 4 categories.

Whereas most would have also been good design in the 20th century, and a couple even in the 19th, all of the featured designs certainly show a lot more innovation, creativity and understanding of what “design” is meant to be than most of the tat we saw at CODE.

But much more importantly, the Danish Design Prize amplifies an unmistakable truth.

A truth most of the exhibitors at CODE 10 need to learn.

Traditionally furniture design is a branch of product design which is branch of industrial design.

Furniture design, however, isn’t what it once was: and in the separation of the categories “industrial design” and “lifestyle” the Danish Design Prize indicates that it understands that.

Because by “lifestyle” they mean furniture.

Furniture design per se has very little left to offer. Tables, chairs, beds can’t be re-invented, they can only be improved.

Back in the day furniture design was an active branch of product and industrial design because of the seemingly endless stream of new materials that were being invented, and the need to find ways to incorporate these new materials in furniture production. Today’s “new” materials are largely variations on existing materials and one of the main challenges now is to use these materials to improve the furniture we have. Be it economically, ergonomically or ecologically.

The days of furniture design as pure product design are numbered.

NAP by Kasper Salto for Fritz Hansen being a wonderful example. The concept of the moulded synthetic shell chair effectively began with Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames in the 1940s.

That was the product/industrial design phase.

NAP takes the concept and evolves it to include the fact that sitting is an active process and the shell needs to maintain its comfort in numerous sitting positions.

In designing NAP Kasper Salto has not only created a delightful, ergonomic, affordable chair but wonderfully demonstrated his understanding of products and the modern furniture design process.

Danish Design Prize Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Kvadrat

Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Kvadrat, another prize winner in the category “lifestyle” ,is more analogous with graphic design than product design. With Algue for Vitra the Bouroullec’s created a new form of room division, with Clouds they play with our perceptions of textiles and their uses.

Clouds is a wonderful and interesting piece of concept design; but it isn’t product design or industrial design.

And as such is a beautiful example of the reality many Danish furniture companies have yet to grasp.

What the Danish Design Prize 2010/11 also shows, however, is that “real” Industrial Design in Denmark is every bit as healthy as graphic, interactive and multimedia design; something the exhibition “Denmark by Design” in the DDC cellar also wonderfully demonstrates.

An exhibition of the Danish Design Prize 2010/11 winners is on display at the Danish Design Centre, HC Andersens Boulevard 27, Copenhagen until April 25th

Danish Design Prize NAP by Kasper Salto for Fritz Hansen

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As already stated our visit to Copenhagen and CORE 10 was without question one of our more disappointing trips.

Largely because of the complete lack of imagination, innovation or indeed quality that we found.

It’s certainly a phenomenon in all walks of life.

What do you mean?

Well, at one point, you’ve got it, then you lose it. And it’s gone forever.

All walks of life.

Georgie Best, for example, had it, lost it.

Or David Bowie or Danish design.

Danish design. Some of their modern stuff’s not bad.

No, it’s not bad, but it’s not great either, is it?

And in your heart you kind of know that although it looks all right…

It’s actually just…..

Even within the pantheon of Scandinavian design “Danish design” occupies an elevated almost mystic position.

Verner Panton, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans J. Wegner dot dot dot

It is probably fair to say that no country has given post-war design more “stars” than Denmark.

Especially when you calculate the “star designer to citizens” ratio.

However.

Too few Danish furniture producers understand why that is.

It’s not the ageometric shapes and the bright colours.

Arne Jacobsen's Bellevue Chair from 1934

As with the likes of Egon Eiermann, the majority of those who embody “Danish design” were architects who in the years before the Second World war regularly created individual furniture pieces for their projects – but who played no real role in industrial furniture production.

The social and cultural changes of the 50s and 60s effectively created the mass market for contemporary furniture: and the furniture producers found in the leading architects of the day a ready source of innovative, experienced furniture design talent.

The designers however largely remained architects who produced occasional furniture designs on the basis of their architectural understanding and processes.

Arne Jacobsen’s Ant chair, for example, began life as a canteen chair for a factory Jacobsen was working on. Through contact with Fritz Hansen the project developed, largely driven by an interest in creating a  product to compete with Charles and Ray Eames plywood furniture range.

Which brings us onto the second impulse: the innovation of the period.

The Eames DSR, for example, is not an especially stunning chair -  however the moulded plastic seat was revolutionary at that time. Exactly as with Eames’ moulded plywood or Verner Panton’s plastic cantilever chair. Much of what we consider design classics today are such not because of their appearance, but because of their historical importance and the fact that when they were first released they re-defined genres and as such entered the collective psyche.

A related factor was the availability of materials per se. Traditionally furniture had been made of wood, the Bauhaus movement and modernism briefly introducing metal and glass into the vocabulary; until in the late 1940s a shortage of materials meant that European furniture producers were limited in what they could use. However in the 50s and 60s not only had the producers access to more materials, but industrialization was producing ever more new materials – and the furniture designers grasped at the new possibilities like frenzied children in free sweet shop.

Each new innovation being presented over new mass media such as television or colour printing and being eagerly snapped up by a European society thriving in the prosperity and security of the period.

All these factors combined to produce the concept of Danish design.

Or in other words Denmark found itself with the right people doing the right job in the right moment.

Tivoli Chair by Verner Panton through Montana: Colourful, but that's not why its good.

Today products for furniture companies are almost exclusively created by professional product designers, men and women whose job it is to produce products to order.

In itself no bad thing, assuming that the brief is motivated by the desire to achieve something new or improve an existing design.

Too much of what we saw wasn’t.

Too much of what we saw was simple mediocrity neatly wrapped in meaningless marketing twaddle to hide the fact the there was nothing new or interesting about the product.

As Renton would no doubt say: “Sooner or later this kind of thing was bound to happen.”

There is a poster on the smow office wall called “A  Century of Danish Chairs”, it starts in 1905 and ends in 1979 – we experienced something similar at CODE 10.

It was genuinely as if the last 30 years hadn’t happened.

Danish furniture design hasn’t completely died, and even Sick Boy’s unifying theory of life isn’t completely valid; however, large sections of it have clearly lost their way and its hard to see where the impetus is going to come from to revitalise and revive Danish furniture design.

Not least when a tired affair such as CODE 10 is branded as demonstrating “…new approaches to design form, design thinking and the creative process”

Fortunately there were a couple of truly excellent items on display, and they will feature in our next Danespotting post.

Is the sun setting on Danish furniture design?

For one of Denmark’s most celebrated designers Verner Panton spent considerably little time in Denmark; and many most of his celebrated works were realised abroad.

That said Copenhagen is full of reminders of Verner Panton, his life, his work and his passions.

And so during our brief visit to the Danish capital we took the opportunity to meet up with one his Vitra Panton Chairs for a guided tour of Verner Panton’s Copenhagen.

The Kunstakademiets Arkitektskole, Copenhagen Verner Panton's alma mater

Our tour began, as did Panton’s association with Copenhagen, at the “Kunstakademiets Arkitektskole” – the Architecture School of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Following completion of his architectural engineering studies at Odensee Techical University, the 21 year old Verner Panton enrolled in the architecture school of the Royal Danish Academy in 1947. In Copenhagen he met Tove Kemp, the stepdaughter of designer, critic and architect Poul Henningsen, and the two married in 1950. Although the marriage to Tove was only short lived, Panton’s relationship with Henningsen was to be much more long-lasting.

On the one hand in Henningsen Panton found a mentor and teacher from who he could develop his light design concepts. In the course of his carear Verner Panton not only designed some 60 lamps, but light and shadow played important roles in his various installations and room design projects.

413 Strandvejen Copenhagen, Arne Jacobsen's house and studio

And secondly, through Henningsen Panton was introduced to Arne Jacobsen and in 1950 began working in Jacobsen’s studio, located in the cellar of Jacobsen’s house at 413 Strandvejen.

Through observing the studied and uncompromising manner in which Jacobsen worked not only did Panton’s interest in furniture design develop, but he also acquired a preference for experimenting with materials and taking risks with his designs – characteristics that were to be critical in the development of his approach to design.

In addition, while working for Arne Jacobsen Verner Panton made his first contact with Fritz Hansen.

But everything in turn.

In 1951 Jacobsen was commissioned to design a canteen chair as part of a project with the company Novo, and from this project arose a cooperation with Fritz Hansen to develop a multi-purpose chair from bent plywood. And Verner Panton was assigned the task of making the initial prototypes for possible designs. The final result was to be the 3100, Myren or Ant Chair – and although the final design is largely Jacobsen, the experience of working on the Ant Chair helped shape Pantons future work.

Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen, site of one of Verner Panton's earliest commissions.

Panton graduated in 1951, left Jacobsen in 1952 and established his own studio. Initially he spent his time undertaking extended European tours in his VW camper van; tours during which in addition to designing he also made contact with designers, producers and retailers.

In 1955 Pantons’ relationship to Fritz Hansen developed further when they brought the very first commercial Verner Panton product onto the market; the Bachelor chair, quickly followed by the “Tivoli Chair” – so named because it was initially developed as part of a commission for a restaurant in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen.

In the late 1950s Panton left Denmark, living and working in Norway, Teneriffe and subsequently Basel, from where he developed his Panton Chair in collaboration with Vitra.

Cirkusbygningen Copenhagen, one of Verner Panton's last public projects in the city

Settling in Basel Verner Panton’s relationship with Copenhagen became increasingly limited to visits, either private or to receive numerous prizes and honours. In 1984, however, Verner Panton was commissioned to develop a new colour scheme for the Cirkusbygningen – a theater and cabaret venue near Tivoli Gardens – a project that he developed in his own inimitable style.

In the 1990s Verner Panton shared his time increasingly between his Villa near Basel and his flat in Copenhagen. Verner Panton died in Copenhagen on September the 5th 1998, aged 72 years.

Strolling through Copenhagen with Vitra Panton Chair and listening to its Verner Panton anecdotes we couldn’t help thinking what a shame it is that the city doesn’t do more to honour the likes of Panton or Jacobsen – or at least make the sites of their work and inspiration more visible and accessible.

The Little Mermaid and the Panton Chair - two of Copenhagen's most important landmarks

Following Verner Panton’s red card against Fritz Haller, Denmark were forced into a change and so Arne Jacobsen lined-up against Maarten Van Severen.

And although this was never going to be a high-tempo encounter the crowd in Johannesburg did become somewhat impatient at the incredibly slow pace of the competition.

With both designers endlessly reworking and perfecting their pieces it was well into the second half before the first attack developed: a neat Ant Chair from Arne Jacobsen giving the old master of Danish design the slight advantage. Arne Jacobsen extended his lead with an Egg Chair and seemed to be heading for a clear victory before Maarten Van Severen salvaged a draw with a late .07 and Kast combination for Vitra.

The Group A table and all Group A results can be found here.

Vitra Design Museum: The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction

The (smow)blog team outing to the cardboard furniture workshop was coupled with a visit to the current Vitra Design Museum Exhibition: The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction.

We must admit to finding it more than a little ironic that an exhibition on “Design and the Art of Reduction” should be taking place in a building designed by Frank Gehry, especially when Tadao Ando’s Conference Pavilion is only some 10m away.

And after the long journey to Weil am Rhein this thought honestly kept us amused for about 4 hours.

The exhibition itself is divided into 12 thematic sections each of which deals with a different aspect of “reduction”; be it elements that the end customer is aware of, for example, geometry or lightness or those that remain hidden from the customer, for example reduction in logistics.

Stephan Schulz: Concrete Bowl

Some 160 objects illustrate the various themes ranging from design classics such as Michael Thonet‘s Chair No. 14 or the Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen onto objects that are less well known – if every bit as interesting – such as Stephan Schulz‘s concrete bowl or Marcel Wanders‘ Knotted Chair for Capellini.

Good design needn’t be complicated, less but more, form follows function – the number of design theories that encapsulate the practice of “reduction” are as numerous as they are legendary: yet at design show after design show we are confronted with products that attempt to win us over through their complexity and extravagance.

We also don’t know why that should be, but we suspect it has a lot to do with a saturated market and the associated increasing role that the internet plays in ensuring that your – probably completely superfluous – work is seen.

Which design blog is going to feature Jasper Morrison‘s Ply-Chair when they have photo of a bookcase that looks like to two paradise birds engaging in a mating ritual atop Carmen Miranda?

Ok we would. But not many others.

For us the true art of reduction in design is when the designer reduces the volume of the product down to the absolute minimum – be it through the use of a new material, innovative joining of the individual elements or through reducing the exterior measurements.

.03 by Maarten Van Severen

One particular example that occurs to us being Maarten van Severen’s’ .03 with its integrated compound spring supports that give the chair its comfort and stability without unduly adding to the weight, volume or outer dimensions.

However as the exhibition “The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction” ably demonstrates  reduction can involve other processes.

Joe Colombo’s No 281 lamp, Wilhelm Wagenfeld’s tea service or Donald Judd’s Chair 84 proving nice examples of what can be achieved with the necessary talent and motivation.

On the negative side we must add that for our taste the exhibition highlighted the work of Charles and Ray Eames a little too heavily – specifically the dedication of the complete section “development” to their work looks suspiciously like a bit of editorial shoe-horning on the curators part.

That aside, for all interested in the design process, and especially where the difference between “designer” furniture – i.e. those furniture pieces where a targeted design process occurs- and cheaper, generic products lies, the Vitra Design Museum exhibition “The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction.” is definitely worth the trip.
The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction at the Vitra Design Museum runs until September 19th 2010. More details can be found at http://www.design-museum.de

Although this encounter was never going to be as extravagant as the opening  match, Fritz Haller and Maarten Van Severen fought a tense, minimalist battle in Durban.

Fritz Haller’s style has changed little since he broke onto the international design scene in the 1960s and his trademark mini, midi, maxi  approach ensured a typically solid Fritz Haller performance. Maarten Van Severen’s occasional forays were always very well considered  and perfectly executed; yet, despite .03 or .04 excellent attempts for Vitra Maarten Van Severen was unable to break Fritz Haller’s solid defence and the match ended 0:0

The Group A table and all Group A results can be found here.

For people who spend most of their working lives sat at desks, publishers and authors have a frightening disregard for comfort when it comes to chairs.

Or at least they do if the furniture we saw at the 2010 Leipzig Buchmesse was a measure of the industry norm.

Cheap folding chairs, cheap copies of designer furniture classics being presented as originals and general cheap tat as far as the eye could see.

Fortunately one or two of the exhibitors seemed better informed. Below a few snapshots of some of the happier moments of the 2010 Leipzig Buchmesse from a designer furniture perspective:

French/German culture channel ARTE with Swan Chairs by Arne Jacobsen from Fritz Hansen

French/German culture channel ARTE with Swan Chairs by Arne Jacobsen from Fritz Hansen

German news channel Phoneix with Tom Vacs by Ron Arad for Vitra

German news channel Phoneix with Tom Vacs by Ron Arad for Vitra

MDR with LEM by Shin and Tomoko Azumi for lapalma

MDR with LEM by Shin and Tomoko Azumi for lapalma

Reclam Verlag with a USM Haller reception desk.

Reclam Verlag with USM Haller

Reclam Verlag with a USM Haller reception desk

Fachhochschule Potsdam with a tribute to fellow Brandenburger Egon Eiermann. Eiermann table frames from Richard Lampert and SE 68 chairs from Wilde + Spieth.

Fachhochschule Potsdam with a tribute to fellow Brandenburger Egon Eiermann

SE 68 chairs from Wilde + Spieth

And perhaps most impressive of all the students of Bauhaus University Weimar who had, in our eyes, a stand as dedicated to Block by Frank Gehry from Vitra.

Block by Frank Gehry from Vitra

Bauhaus University Weimar

We can only the hope the situation improves for the Leipzig Buchmesse 2011.

But please, with better quality furniture