At the same time as he was developing the Ant Chair, Arne Jacobsen created a one-off range of office furniture that arguably represents the first tangible evidence of his move away from the natural materials and traditional handicrafts of his pre-war furniture and onto the mixed media, industrial products that have ultimately come to define his work. And so can truly be considered great lost furniture design classics.

Not least because they really are lost!

In 1951/52 – the records are a little unclear here – Arne Jacobsen was commissioned by the Copenhagen based shipping company Burmeister & Wain to produce a gift for the American Scandinavian Society and designed a desk, coffee table and side chair group.

The highlight of which is without question the desk. Quite aside from its reduced down simplicity there are two features of the desk that, for us, elevate it above the masses of desks available before or since.

Firstly there is the typewriter holder. A device that swivels through 90 degrees meaning that it can either sit in line with the desk – so out of the way. Or be pulled round next to you to be used. Which is just gorgeous. And of course although designed for a typewriter, these days it is perfect for laptop or tablet; thus making the desk just as relevant and functional today as it was then.

And secondly the drawers. Not just the fact that they are there, but much more the simple yet ingenious decision to attach them to the frame with chrome-plated tubes thus giving the whole structure a lightness that a more conventional solution would never have achieved.

The whole composition is just a joy to behold.

The desk created by Arne Jacobsen for the American Scandinavian Society (photo: source unknown....)

A further fascinating aspect of the project is the potential role of a young Verner Panton.

From 1950-1952 Verner Panton worked in Jacobsen’s studio and one of his jobs was developing early prototypes for the Ant Chair. In their monumental Jacobsen biography Carsten Thau and Kjeld Vindum write “Panton, who through PH’s [Poul Henningsen] friendship with the boss had been given a  job in the office began to create a range of steel wire prototypes that quickly grew to a sprightly collection standing on a box next to his desk”¹

Could one of these prototypes have then mutated into the American Scandinavian Society chair?

We certainly know that Jacobsen wanted the Ant to be three legged chair, and so be extrapolation Panton must have been told to devise prototypes with 3 legs.

While the unmissable, irrefutable formal parallels to Verner Panton’s own 1955 Bachelor Chair would tend to imply that if Verner Panton wasn’t personally behind the American Scandinavian Society chair, he greatly influenced it. Or was greatly influenced by it.

That is the great unknown.

We believe, but cannot prove, that Verner Panton was largely responsible for the chair.

In contrast the desk and coffee table are pure early 1950s Arne Jacobsen.

The group was made, once and once only, by the Copenhagen cabinet makers Rud. Rasmussen and formed part of a series of gifts from numerous companies to the American Scandinavian Society to celebrate their move to new offices in New York.

American Scandinavian Society records show that Burmeister & Wain donated furniture for the publications office, without noting any details of the items.

Or, more importantly, what subsequently became of them.

For in the intervening 60 years desk, chair and coffee table have vanished without trace……….

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

Lost Furniture Design Classics: Office Furniture by Arne Jacobsen for the American Scandinavian Society (Photo from"Arne Jacobsen" by Carsten Thau and Kjeld Vindum.)

And the chair. For us more Verner Panton than Arne Jacobsen..... (Photo from"Arne Jacobsen" by Carsten Thau and Kjeld Vindum.)

Hofmobiliendepot Vienna Sixties Design

On Wednesday February 29th the Hofmobiliendepot Vienna open their 2012 spring exhibition.
We had hoped to make it to the opening; but life being what it is. We wont.

Sadly.

Not least because the exhibition explores, for us, one of the most interesting periods of design – The Sixties.

Not interesting as in, “Wow! Look how bright, spacey and groovy everything is!!!” Obviously.

But interesting in terms of what it brought into the design vocabulary and the doors that it opened. And because it offers a chance to show how misunderstood the decade often still is.

Divided into ten sections Sixties Design starts in the 1950s before moving over “space age design” and pop art and on to anti-design and features works from the likes of Vico Magistretti, Joe Colombo, Verner Panton and  Eero Saarinen.

But for us what sounds much more interesting is the placing of the exhibition in the context of two cultural revolutions that defined the 1960s; the rise of consumerism at the start of the decade and the counter revolution at the end.

The “consumer revolution”  was driven to a large extent by the increasing social and financial security of the age combined with the speed at which new materials were being brought onto the market. New materials that not only made ever more possible, but challenged the designers of the day to push the limits even further.

In an interview we conducted with the Susanne Graner, Head of Collection at the Vitra Design Museum – an interview that we really must get round to publishing – she speaks about how one of the biggest problems with restoring 1960s furniture is that often no-one knows exactly what the material is. What it is composed of. So rapid and impulsive was the development of new materials they were often being used before the research was properly completed. Its not just the case that if you can remember the 1960s you weren’t there, but also if you can remember what the construction materials are composed of, you probably weren’t involved in creating the object.

Or put another way the early 1960s saw the beginnings of designers experimenting; of designers seeing their function as being more than just creating attractive, practical objects.

And the public of the day were ready and willing to spend their extra disposable income on everything that came on the market.

Selene by Vico Magistretti from 1968. Seen here during the exhibition Zoom at the Vitra Design museum

In 1966 the logical conclusion of this new found freedom, both creative and commercial, finally exploded in the form of Anti-Design

Initiated by Florentine collectives such as Archizoom and Superstudio, collectives who spent their days questioning everything about everything, the Anti-Design movement saw themselves as a counteraction to the over commercialisation of design as represented by the pop furniture and bright colours of the early 1960s. Of making design socially and culturally relevant rather than simply a mass market product.

And, completely ironically, in doing so helped contribute to today’s over saturated market by making design something fashionable rather than just desirable.

Despite the apparent contradictions of the two movements, they are very closely related; and not just in their common desire to break away from the all enveloping modernism that had dominated European design and architecture for so many decades.

Although both dominated by architects they opened up the field to other professionals, they both encouraged practitioners to find their own voice, to develop their own form language and to take responsibility for their work

And they both made fun look easy. Which brings us back to misunderstanding the era. A Cone Chair by Verner Panton, for example, is amusing. And an awful lot of work.

As we say, we’ve sadly not yet seen “Sixties Design” at the Hofmobiliendepot Vienna, and so we can’t comment on how well the exhibition deals with and discusses the numerous topics involved with the decade.

But if your in Vienna in the coming months it certainly sounds worth checking out.

Not least because the Hofmobiliendepot Vienna houses the most fantastic collection of late 19th early 20th century Viennese furniture including some outstanding works from Michael Thonet, Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner et al….

Sixties Design at the Hofmobiliendepot Vienna runs until June 17th 2012.

Full details can be found at www.hofmobiliendepot.at

Flowerpot Lamp by Verner Panton from 1968 Seen here during the exhibition Panton in the Danish Embassy Berlin

If purple is the second colour of mourning; then citrus colours are unquestionably the second colour(s) of Christmas.

Be it the orange of an orange, the lemon of a lemon or the dark lime of a Vitra Panton Chair.

Launched by Vitra in July as a special summer 2011 edition the Dark Lime Panton Chair was released as a strictly limited edition piece.

And the (smow)warehouse is down to the last few examples……

And just like mince pies – when they’re gone. They’re gone!

Unlike mince pies however there aren’t any more in the oven warming gently.

Gone is gone.

A Christmas tree. Warm mulled wine. Angelic voices filling the room with gentle song. And a dark lime Vitra Panton Chair.

What could be more festive!

The Ghost of Christmas past enters into the festive spirit with a Vitra Dark Lime Panton Chair

Back in the summer we ran a highly entertaining “Summertime in Dark Lime” Panton Chair Cocktail competition.

The judging was certainly highly entertaining.

The winner was Italian designer Alessandro Barison aka abitudinicreative

Chatting with Alessandro after his cocktail “Spritz Upgrade” was selected the winner, we discovered that while he was a student at the Scuola Italiana Design (SID)  he had taken part in a workshop cum competition that involved redesigning  – or better put – extending the scope of the Panton Chair.

And we really liked what Alessandro and  his colleagues came up with: A Panton Chair Trolley, so on wheels so that you take your  Panton Chair with you. In an ideal world you can even use the space under the seat as storage and hey presto – a Vitra Panton Chair trolley suitcase.

Is there a more stylish way to travel?

We don’t imagine for a minute that Vitra would ever entertain the idea of producing or licensing such an object. Or indeed doing anything new with Verner Panton‘s design. But we genuinely love the idea and wanted to share it with you.

They finished second.

And yes, we honestly discovered this after he had won!

More Panton Chair based photos can be found on Alessandro’s flickr page

The Vitra Panton Chair as travel trolley!

The original sketches…

For a publication renowned for the quality of its authors, the Spiegel press department write press releases that repeat themselves a lot.

That said we were delighted to receive the one that reached us at the start of the week.

If less delighted to read it.

And not just on account its cyclical nature.

The Spiegel Canteen in Hamburg by Verner Panton

Unquestionably one of Verner Panton’s most famous interior design projects, his 1969 work for the Spiegel publishing group’s HQ in Hamburg is a monstrous testament to…. well Verner Panton.

With its well considered confusion of colour, materials and forms, the Spiegel building can be considered together with his 1970 Visiona 2 installation as representing the zenith of Verner Panton’s work as an interior designer.

Panton created numerous spaces throughout the building, with the exception of the offices which remained white; however, a mix of negligent renovation and bad luck mean only the canteen and snack bar have survived into the 21st century.

Sadly. Because not only was the work a thundering testament to it’s creators comprehension of the world: it is also a documentation of how the world has moved on since 1969.

How many companies today would install a swimming pool for their employees?

And with Der Spiegel and its band of merry men heading off to a new building in the vast soulless expanse of the Hamburg Hafencity, the future of the last remaining intact pieces of Pantons masterwork was in doubt.

Was.

On Monday Spiegel announced, several times in the space of 5 paragraphs, that the majority of the work will be donated to the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg.
A small proportion however will remain in the new Spiegel House.

Although somewhat disconcertingly the press release states that the “new snack bar” on the 5th floor will have “elements of the old – albeit more transparent, roomier and with wonderful views”

Which all just sounds like a company announcing that they’ve bought a couple of pieces of art to display in their new snack bar.

Now there is nothing wrong with companies buying art for their HQs.

We know several young artists who’ve been saved from eviction because some multi-national has snapped up one of their works.

But Panton’s work for Spiegel isn’t about the colours and shapes.

Its not about psychedelia. His work was never about psychedelia, it was always about the psychological effects of colour on the human organism.

That’s why the Spiegel workers used to open their office doors to let the colour flow from the corridors into their monotone offices. No one works well in white cell!

It is about the complete work. It’s a composition. Unlike the Spiegel press release.

And it’s certainly not art.

If we’re honest we’d rather everything went to the MKGH.

That would be a more honourable and respectful end to one of the greatest chapters in German interior design.

There it would at least be amongst people who care for it, appreciate it and understand it.

A sentiment we believe truly is worth repeating.

Not just bright ... but beautifully incorporates the Bertoia Chair from Knoll International

Last August we made an ill-fated trip to Copenhagen and CODE 10.

A trip that caused us to ponder the question if Danish furniture design is still relevant.

To help us explore this point a little further we decided to speak to two young Danish designers and ask them for their views and opinions on the current state of furniture design in Denmark.

Monique Engelund and Jonas Pedersen both studied architecture in Aarhus, graduating with a degree in furniture design. And no they didn’t change course half-way through. The course in Aarhus is structured such that one studies “traditional” architecture for the first two years. And then specialises in either architecture or furniture design.

The term for people such as Monique and Jonas we learned is “furniture architect”

Not only a delightful term in its own right; but a phrase that for us wonderfully encapsulates a central reason why mid-20th century furniture design produced so many design classics.

It’s practitioners were architects. Who trained like architects. Who thought like architects. Who designed like architects.

Jonas Pedersen

For Jonas Pedersen the reason why specifically Denmark profited so much from this global phenomenon was a question of material choice. “In the 50s and 60s when Danish furniture design got really big there was a large number of really skilled architects in Denmark, and they principally worked in wood and created a very unique style”

A style that went on to establish itself as a by-word for quality and innovation, and which established household names such as Wagner, Jacobsen or Juhl.

But in how far are these “old masters” a burden for the current generation of Danish designers; a generation who weren’t born as the tradition of Danish furniture design was being written.

A big problem says Jonas. “Many people still think that Danish design is defined by the past.  Which can be really annoying because many people think the good stuff is only the stuff from back then. And so we have to fight against that.”

Monique Engelund has already made her own experience with such attitudes. Responding to an advert from a company in China looking for a “new”, “young” “wild” “fresh” Scandinavian designer she submitted some examples of her work. “But all they wanted was wood furniture because they thought that’s what we do!”

Que a communal shrugging of shoulders in the room.

But what of the new generation. What do they do? What motivates them?

Monique Engelund

Faced with the challenge of designing in the 21st century Monique highlights the problem of perspective as a designer. In the 50s and 60s many young designers were concerned with rebelling against conformity and fighting for their creative freedom. A freedom today’s young designers have, but must first learn how to use.

“At Uni” says Monique, “we are actually often advised to be rebellious, which of course makes being so, quite a paradox.”

For as we all know, what’s the point in rebelling in an open space. One needs borders to push against.

Such problems are of course not limited to Denmark. We’re a global society.

The new generation of designers need to learn to formulate the question they want to ask society, to define the borders of what society will accept, before they can start presenting answers.

And maybe that’s part of what we missed at CODE 10.

Innovation. Risk. Youthful rebellion. And if you want to get all old skool punk about it – a manifesto.

All of which made our hearts beat a little faster as we slapped a miniature Panton Chair on the table and asked: “International design or Danish design?”

Jonas: “That’s from Mars…”

Monique: “…. that’s certainly not typical Danish. I think the development of that chair is European, I mean we can’t take any credit for it!”

For many non-Danes, however, the Panton Chair is the very epitome of contemporary Danish design. The work however was not only criticised and mocked by Panton’s Danish contemporaries at the time, but Panton would never have been able to find a producer in 1960s Denmark.

Or indeed, based on Monique’s experience, in 21st century China.

Ironically. Given the volume of illegal copies originating there.

Whereas the generation before Verner Panton found their success in the creation of a unified, definable conservative form language based around the same one material; Verner Panton found his success, and ultimately revitalised Danish furniture design, because he used new developments in production and material technology to rebel against these established perceptions.

Which could lead one to the conclusion that if Danish design is to remain relevant in the future they need designers who, in effect, rebel against Panton.

And are they? In which direction is Danish furniture design going at the moment?

Listening to Jonas, Monique and their contemporaries one gets a good impression of young designers who no longer see a contract with a big name international producer as their ultimate goal and who understand their work as solutions to problems rather than “just” products. Or as Monique so eloquently puts it, ” I think there is a tendency of combining design with other disciplines be it sociology or ecology, and so looking for the deeper meaning to your products”

If that isn’t a rebellion against pop art revivalism!

But perhaps more importantly one gets an impression of young designers for whom “Danish design” is no longer a design style. But a simple geographical indicator.

Similarly there are also new, young Danish producers such as Hay or Normann Copenhagen who have also grasped this and who tend to have much more international rosters than was the case in the golden age of Danish design; who however remain open to young Danish designers.

And such producers coupled to a continuing stream of talented and intelligent furniture architects such as Jonas Pedersen and Monique Engelund certainly gives us hope for the future of furniture design in Denmark.

Maybe CODE 10 just came to soon!

During Copenhagen Design Week Monique Engelund is presenting Noah’s Ark, a joint installation with Sophie Alexandrine which explores the ecological burden of over consumption in the context of furniture design.

Noah's Ark from Monique Engelund and Sophie Alexandrine @ Copenhagen Design Week

The winner the Dark Lime Vitra Panton Chair Summer Cocktail Competition is Alessandro Barison.

Congratulations !!!

His “Spritz Upgrade” – essentially a classic Spritz with sparkling water and orange juice – or a Bucks Fizz with Aperol as one jury member commented – was the unanimous victor.

The principle reason given being that the addition of the orange juice and water lightened the drink, or at least the perception of the drink, making it a wonderful accompaniment to a hot summers afternoon and a long, muggy evening.

Once again congratulations to Alessandro, thank you to all others who entered and for all who didn’t win more information on the limited edition Dark Lime Vitra Panton Chair can be found at “Summertime in dark lime”

And all submitted cocktail recipes can be found here

Dark Lime Vitra Panton Chair Summer Cocktail Competition: The Winner

Summertime in dark lime: Spritz Upgrade by Alessandro Barison

London based design studio Barber Osgerby stands as a testament to the fact that high quality work will always win through, with or without the media status “star designer”

While its fair to say that many of their contemporaries have been placed on international glossy magazine pedestals, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have remained largely in the shadows, quietly producing consistently high quality work for both international producers and private customers.

That is however slowly changing and Barber Osgerby are now getting the public recognition they unquestionably deserve.

The pair first achieved a wider public with their award winning De La Warr Chair through Established & Sons in 2005; however in the course of their career Barber Osgerby have built up strong relationships and delivered highly individual collections for companies as varied as Capellini, Magis or ClassiCon.

In 2010 Barber Osgerby completed their first project for Vitra – the Map Table and Tip Ton Chair.

The launch of Map Table and Tip Ton Chair in Milan came shortly after the announcement that Barber Osgerby had won perhaps their most prestigious contract thus far: the commission to design the Olympic Torch for London 2012.

In July 2012 Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s torch will light the Olympic Fire – but here and now in July 2011 you can light your own fire with Jay Osgerby’s Caipirissima

And if you share your favourite cocktail recipe us you could win a limited edition Dark Lime Panton Chair from Vitra.

Full details on how to enter our summer competition can be found here.

Good Luck!

Jay Osgerby’s Caipirissima

2 measures of White Rum

1 measure of Sugar Syrup

1 Lime

0.25 measure of lime juice.

Cut the lime into eigths.

Muddle the lime and sugar to release the juices and oils in the skin of the lime.

Pour rum and extra lime juice into glass, add crushed ice and stir.

The London 2012 Olympic Torch by Barber Osgerby

Tip Ton by Barber Osgerby for Vitra

Until July 31st we are giving readers the chance to win a limited edition Dark Lime Panton Chair.

In effect we are swapping a Dark Lime Panton Chair for a summer cocktail/mixed drink recipe.

The best wins!

In order to give you some ideas and inspiration we have asked several Vitra VIPs for their favourite recipe.

Today Vitra Chief Design Officer Eckart Maise shares his Caipirinha recipe

He obvioulsy can’t win – but he can share a recipe!!!

As the man who commissioned works such as Tip Ton by Barber Osgerby or Waver by Konstantin Grcic, Eckart Maise obviously has taste. And we can assure you his Caipirinha is no exception.

If you want to be in with chance of winning the Limited Edition Dark Lime Panton Chair, simply tell us your favourite summer cocktail/mixed drink recipe.

Full details on how you can enter can be found here

Eckart Maise’s Caipirinha Recipie:

- 6 cl Cachaça
- White cane sugar
- 1 Lime,  unsprayed, unwaxed

Preparation:

Wash the lime and remove the ends. Quarter the lime and place in a long glass.

Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of sugar and mash the sugar and limes together.

Fill the glass with ice and pour in the Cachaça.

Stir and serve with a straw.

Win a Dark Lime Panton Chair from Vitra

Perfect for the balcony or garden

Summer.

Sun.

Cocktails.

In order to allow you to enjoy this combination to the full (smow) are giving away a Dark Lime Panton Chair.

To be in with chance of winning a limited edition summer 2011 version of Verner Panton’s classic cantilever chair, simply tell us your favourite summer cocktail or mixed drink recipe; alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

The only rule is that it must contain a slice of lime!

And be perfect for a long summers evening in a Vitra Panton Chair!

The competition is open until July 31st – our jury of amateur mixologists will then select a winner.

Simply add your recipe below!

And if you want, let us know what you like about the Panton Chair. We’d love to know!

Good luck!

(To keep things clean all recipes need to be checked and authorised. This can take an hour or two. And to confirm, the prize is one Vitra Panton Chair in the limited edition Dark Lime colour. There is no cash alternative! Entries will be accepted until 23.59 on 31.07.2011)

Win a Dark Lime Vitra Panton Chair

Perfect for a summer evening on the balcony or in the garden...