No.10 Vol. 2/2009

The award-winning designer shows The way back To basics

wiTh a Table ThaT will lasT a lifeTime

CeCilie Manz

TrueColours

give new life To your inTerior

wiTh colours

The royal Danish BalleT MeeTs iConiC

Design in Tokyo

COPENHAGEN

MILAN

LONDON

PARIS

DUSSELDORF

AMSTERDAM

STOCKHOLM

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HELSINKI

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NEW YORK

TOKYO

DUBAI

MAKING STATEMENTS SINCE 1872

THE ORIGINAL FRITZ HANSEN EGG™ CHAIR DESIGNED BY ARNE JACOBSEN IN 1958 FRITZHANSEN.COM

THE ORIGINAL FRITZ HANSEN EGG™ CHAIR DESIGNED BY ARNE JACOBSEN IN 1958 FRITZHANSEN.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE 5 CEO Jacob Holm welcomes you to the

10th issue of republic

NOTES 6Visit Fritz Hansen's new website, experience

The Royal Danish Ballet’s unorthodox staging of “Egg” in the streets of Tokyo, take a look at Arne Jacobsen’s functional villa in 1:16

and Fritz Hansen’s “Little Helpers”.

CECIlIE MaNz 14Cecilie Manz has designed the table Essay™, a new gathering place for the family.

Meet the prize-winning Danish designer who unites minimalism and humanism.

a TablE fOR lIfE 16Simplicity and honesty characterise Cecilie Manz’ new table Essay™ that will be

launched this autumn together with the Series 7™ chair in seven new colours. Get closer to the new products from Fritz Hansen.

NEw lEgS 26 Arne Jacobsen’s modernistic icon, the Series 7™ chair, gets a twist.

ME aND My ChaIR 28For the past 20 years Nikolaj Hübbe, the artistic director of the

Royal Danish Ballet, has owned two PK22™ lounge chairs. Here he shares his thoughts on Danish design.

COlOURfUl NEw wORlD 30The work of architects and designers is not as black and white as it used to be.

Monochrome buildings and furniture of the past are being replaced by a new colourful way of thinking.

gOlDEN ERa Of DESIgN 32Resources were scarce in the post-war years but it was nonetheless

a time of design breakthroughs. We take a closer look at 10 pivotal designs that took us into the modern era.

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5e d i t o r ' s n o t e

The spirit of the times is not undergoing a major change; it has already happened. Today, nothing looks like it did last year. The whole world is

discussing the climate change, from top politicians participating in the climate summit in Copenhagen to the man on the street in London’s “tube” – the challenge of the century, nothing less. And as if that isn’t enough, the bleeding world economy is also a huge challenge. This has entailed dramatic change, which today is forcing businesses to close and to put people out on the street.

In other words, these are serious times. The paradigm shift has meant the design world is going back to the core, which involves focusing on the long-term, the durable and last but not least the basics.

Historically, Fritz Hansen has always maintained that we are best at creating simple designed furniture of high quality. Furniture that is handed down from generation to

generation. Furniture, where the superfluous and opulent are deselected beforehand.Our most recent member of the Republic of Fritz Hansen™ is designer Cecilie Manz

who lives up to these values in every sense of the word. She is a unique personality, and her interpretation of design is elegant and human all at the same time. During Salone del Mobile 2009 in Milan we were able to present her table, Essay™.

At first glance, the quality of the table is its simplicity. The design is calm and the wood solid but it is, nevertheless, a table you notice. Despite the clean lines, the expression is both soft and inviting. In other words, this is a table in sync with the spirit of the times – created for contemplation, reflection and togetherness for many, many years.

Jacob Holm, CEO

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Historically, Fritz Hansen Has always maintained

tHat we are best at creating simple designed Furniture oF HigH quality. Furniture tHat is Handed down From generation to generation. Furniture,

wHere tHe superFluous and opulent are

deselected beForeHand.

o nline

Whether you are on the lookout for inspiration for the living room or you need drawings and pictures for an architectural project, do not forget to visit Fritz Hansen’s new online universe.

The website also features an online museum.

Price List

Fritz Hansen_brochure2009_pricelist_16ib.indd 2 7/8/09 10:44:27 AM

wwwelcome onlineThanks to the relaunch of www.fritzhansen.com, it is now possible to enter a universe of international furniture classics. The result serves as a source of inspiration for curious consumers as well as architects who can get direct help from the site when preparing projects by way of updated CAD and 3D files. The big news on the site is the online catalogue. The catalogue offers a look inside Fritz Hansen’s product portfolio of their trend-setting designers and architects which has resulted in Danish and International design classics. The catalogue descriptions include information about possible product combinations as to choice of material, structure, colours and prices.Find more on Fritzhansen.com

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From fiery pink to discrete olive. The new colours of

series 7™ cover a wide field and are chosen by seven

young, upcoming designers: Maarten Baas, arik Levy, Fabio Novembre, Jaime

Hayon, sebastian Bergne, nendo and autoban.

true coloursSeven new colours, selected by seven young designers. Arne Jacobsen’s most popular piece of furniture, the stacking chair - Series 7™, will now be launched in a limited edition as a result of the collaboration with seven designers. The seven new colours were introduced in spring 2009 during the Salone del Mobile in Milan. The chairs will only beavailable until the end of 2010 and they are designed under the code word ‘seven’. The international designers and artists have each introduced a colour. The designers come from very different backgrounds and positions in the world of art and design which have left very different marks on the Danish design icon. And the colours? They are just as different as the persons behind them: Polished Aluminium, Primer Grey, Cherry Blossom, Grass Green, Ultra Violet, Olive Grey and Neon Pink.

colour

The fact that people were able to see Danish Bournonville being danced at an international level in Tokyo was to a large extent due to a new partner-ship between the Royal Danish Ballet and Fritz Hansen. A partnership which made it possible to have the whole Danish ballet company come on a one month visit to Japan with great productions of John Neumeier’s ”Romeo and Juliet” and the Bournonville classic “Napoli”, which were both staged at the Bunka Kaikan Theatre with an audience of approx. 2000 people watching every evening. Parallel with the official programme, a young dancer and choregrapher, Esther Lee Wilkinson, had her first performance of “Egg” with Tina Højland as a solo dancer. ”Egg” was presented guerilla style in front of Tokyo International Forum in the center of the city where surprised Japanese gaped while she danced around Arne Jacobsen’s classic to music by the Danish singer Nanna Øland Fabricius - all of it watched by Artistic Director Nikolaj Hübbe.More information on: Youtube.com or Fritzhansen.com

The dance around the egg

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elegance and physical strength outstandingly

combined by Tina Højlund during one of the rehearsals

of the ballet “egg”.

on Tour

WAKe uP WItH rIN™When the new concept hotel, Wake Up Copenhagen, designed by the Arp-Hansen Hotel Group, opens to its first visitors in autumn 2009, they will experience a fantastic combination of comfortable design and aesthetics. In the interior you will find one of Fritz Hansen’s new products, the much-coveted RIN™

chair in black plastic and polished aluminium. With its elegant design, the chair fits perfectly into the 510 rooms where the chair is a delight to the eye. At the same time it is not a strain on your finances as the price of the hotel is more than fair as part of the hotels goal: when it comes to pricing, it is a two-star hotel, however, when it comes to design, it deserves at least three stars. The light, the room and the air create the perfect frame for the guests during their stay at the hotel, the form of which is inspired by a side of a mountain. The next-door neighbours are the Tivoli Hotel and the Tivoli Congress Center which will open in 2010. With its sustainability in view, the RIN chair will interact beautifully with the upcoming climate conference in Copenhagen, from 7 December to 18 December 2009, focusing on climate and environmental issues as well as sustainability. The hotel will have a full house with the many guests visiting Copenhagen during the conference. Please find more information on Wakeupcopenhagen.dk

new colours, new possibilitiesA Japanese theme in variations. This autumn Hiromichi Konno’s RIN™ chair comes in a number of new colours. The chair which has been well received by designers and architects in its original black and white colours is now available in light blue, grey, green and red. By combining new colours and contrasting coloured upholstery, a new world of possibilities gives RIN its very own expression.

A potential new classic is born owed to the Japanese furniture designer Hiromichi Konno’s RIN™chair for Fritz Hansen. The beautiful and comfortable chair has become an international success. The idea of the RIN chair took shape back in 2002 .The chair is suitable for the future where work and leisure can unite. The upholstered RIN has now been added to the family with a frontal upholstery raising the comfort of the already comfortable chair with its ample curves and integrated arm rests. The chair, which comes in both leather, fabric and colours at one’s

own choice, takes the otherwise dull office chair into an all new dimension where the aesthetic exudes an impression of lightness. Hiromichi Konno’s idea was to create a chair that is in harmony with Danish and Japanese design traditions. And the result is called RIN, which means a stunning, elegant and courageous appearance - three words that perfectly describe the chair’s combination of function and unique design. Find more information on Fritzhansen.com

An uPHolSTereD new clASSic

Hiromichi Konnos´s riN™ chair has become almost indispensable in the newly opened Wake Up hotel in Copenhagen.

uPDATe

A dreAm House IN 1:16Big and small fans of good design will enjoy the miniature version of Arne Jacobsen’s functional house in the dimension 1:16. Miniature versions of the Egg™, the Swan™ and Series 7™ are produced for the dollhouse and you will find magnets on the walls and the ceiling which enable playful visi-tors to move the furniture about, e.g. miniature versions of the Archichoke by Poul Henningsen and paintings by Poul Pava from the Danish island of Bornholm. The dollhouse idea is conceived by Linda Stenberg and has already aroused great enthusiasm when it was displayed at the Formland Exhibition in January 2009. Linda Stenberg, a former player in the advertising world, has worked on realising the dream of a modern Danish-looking dollhouse which she tried to find for her own children. Now the dream is a reality - and what a dream house!Please find more information on: Minimii.com

A good matchFritz Hansen has teamed up with Danskina. A Dutch company which designs a line of quality rugs. The friendship between the two companies is long-standing as Danskina’s rugs have adorned a number of Fritz Hansen’s showrooms and have been used in connection with various projects. A collaboration seemed a natural development to Fritz Hansen and Danskina as it would reinforce Danski-na's position on the Scandinavian market. Danskina, which was founded in 1973, focuses on first-quality design products just like Fritz Hansen. The two companies complement each other well: Danskina has the reputation of being young and sexy whereas Fritz Hansen’s core values concentrate on stability and timeless quality design. The rugs are primarily hand-or machine-knotted using sustainable natural materials. The rugs are produced both in Holland and Scotland.Please find more information on: Danskina.com

Modernism for children and adults. Linda stenberg initiated the doll’s house version of arne Jacobsen’s famous "funkisvilla".

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AN odd couPleThe difference of height alone makes them an odd couple. Add to this the 20 year age difference between the two. But there are also similarities: They have both lived quiet lives with less attention unlike other pieces of furniture from Fritz Hansen and will both be relaunched in autumn 2009 in new colours. The Coat Tree™ by Sidse Werner is from 1971 and is one of the most useful in the world and probably one which may stand the weight of the largest number of coats. The mobile, sturdy clothes and hat stand will be launched in three new colour combinations - white, grey and multicoloured. The small nostalgic stool The Dot™ was designed in 1953 by Fritz Hansen and Arne Jacobsen and now, many years later will go into production again. It is characterised by a timelessness which makes it suitable for many interiors. At the same time the look is retrospective, especially because of the distinctive colours: lime, rose, orange, black and white.

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sidse Werner’s beautiful and sculputural Coat Tree™ is now available in new colours.

TribuTe

The ice Hotel in Kiruna was the perfect location for a

forum on megatrends.

meGA-treNds IN KIruNAIn January 2009 Fritz Hansen invited a number of international architects and designers – among them were John Small from Foster + Partners in London, architect Detlef Weitz, who is responsible for the extensive scenography of the current Max Ernst exhibition at Louisiana, Denmark, and Dutch architect Dominique Marc Müller to join a debate with mega-trends on the agenda. The event took place at the Ice Hotel in Kiruna, Sweden, the very spot where climate change is most noticeable – at the Arctic Polar Circle. The result of the debate was manifold and useful. The conclusion included visions of sustainability, change and unity which were identified as the three most important mega-trends of the near future. The meeting generated optimism and a shared vision with a mission for the future. Please find more information on Icehotel.com

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Fritz Hansen was visible at a number of events. In addition to a well-attended launch of the Essay™ table in their own showroom, Fritz Hansen teamed-up with Airstream and Mini and presented an inno-vative luxurious caravan designed for the lifestyle of a modern surfer and beautifully furnished with Fritz Hansen’s furniture classics. From the more artistic world , Fritz Hansen initiated three live performances where street life in Milan was enriched with artists from the Brea Art Academy who gave a more artistic interpretation of the Egg™.Please find more information about Salone del Mobile on Cosmit.it.

camping de luxe

Be orIGINAlThis year Fritz Hansen is behind the campaign with the slogan ”Be Original - Fight the Copies” using a red Egg™ as a conspicuous eye-catcher. The idea is to highlight what defines an authentic classic within the world of furniture. Through a campaign which concentrates on the values behind furniture designed by Poul Kjærholm, Arne Jacobsen, Hiromichi Konno and others, and the story behind it. In a time when the economy calls for consideration in the corporate and non-corporate sector, the campaign has helped stress how important it is to buy high-quality originals with a long life rather than the inexpensive copies. The campaign was launched during the furniture fair in Stockholm where the Eggs were placed all over the city, and then repeated during Salone del Mobile in Milan with success.Please visit Fritzhansen.com for more information about copy versus original.

With the solid beams painted white, the concrete and the bronzed brass the original, rough impression is kept intact in Fritz Hansen’s new showroom in Copenhagen.

The citizens of stockholm, sweden, became aware of the “Be original” campaign as the red eggTM was positioned over Café opera’s entrance.

THe Sky iS THe limiT The settings of Fritz Hansen’s newly-opened showroom in Frihavnen, Copenhagen, is a charming warehouse from the beginning of the last century. Solid wooden posts, old marks in the rough concrete walls and large windows are preserved to uphold the orignal features of the room. The materials are simple: white painted wood, rough concrete, a kitchen in burnt oak and bronzed brass by the entrance. Visitors to the new showroom will be fascinated by the view from the harbour entrance where one can see the Copenhagen Opera House designed by Architect Henning Larsen. Inside the showroom Fritz Hansen’s furniture complement the space. Due to the size there is plenty of room between the furniture which make it possible for visitors to focus. The space is yet another example of how showrooms adapt to the existing building structure and where the actual decor reflects the Scandinavian expression.The Fritz Hansen showroom is located on Klubiensvej 24, Pakhus 48, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.

newS

Fritz Hansen teamed up with airstream and Mini to present their idea of a luxurious caravan equipped with Fritz Hansen furniture.

T here are plates in the middle of the table. At one end the sewing machine is humming; at the other, children are building a secret den under the table while a number of colourful Series 7™ chairs frame the whole picture. This is one possible scenario. The plates could also be drawing paper covered with childish squiggles; the sewing machine could be a laptop and the den a stack of magazines. Or something altogether

different. The imagination and the family’s changing needs are what builds the picture. Essay™ is a tool – a tool to gather the family. Modern families are busy with so many different projects that it takes something special to gather them on one surface. This is the idea behind the table, which is one of the new key products in Fritz Hansen’s furniture collection.

In fact, it was a wet chunk of clay 30 years ago that first lit up the creative brain behind the Essay table. Her childhood home was less than 100m from her parents’ beautiful ceramics workshop. She grew up in an old village school named Starreklinte, in the middle of Northern Zealands’ idyllic countryside of Odsherred. You don’t need to have visited Odsherred to know what it’s like. It’s the kind of place you find everywhere in the world: beautiful and calm, yet suitably close to the changing signals of the big city. The perfect place for a creative workshop. Young Cecilie did not attend the

Designer CeCilie Manz grew up literally playing with Design. now her

table essay™ is being launCheD as a gathering point for the faMily

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after-school centre in the Seventies and Eighties. Instead she spent her time in her parents’ workshop. Here, she was given a chunk of clay and that was the foundation for a life entirely focused on design.

“As a child in a creative family I learned a whole lot about attention to detail,’ she

says in her marvellous workshop in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. ‘While I was growing up I earned all my pocket money by straightening the edges on my father’s cups. He would ask me if I thought a handle was too long or a curve too deep. There was a moment when I was 12 that I wanted to be a baker. But that aside, it was on the cards that design is what I would be doing with my life.”

Cecilie Manz is sitting and working on a silver-grey MacBook at an oblong table of light wood in the middle of her square workshop. Felt-tip pens of every colour are on the table in a metal stand among yellow post-its with quick ideas and files with endless plans. The end wall is dominated by a large metal bookshelf. It is filled with nearly finished projects, cups, boxes and beautiful vases. A curled, matt black steel sheet is part of an unfinished idea. Flat cardboard boxes contain plates designed for a famous restaurant in Copenhagen and on the shelf books by and about the world’s biggest furniture designers sit shoulder to shoulder. A white, round table makes up the meeting area, while a small band saw completes the picture of a functioning workshop.

Creativity is in every detail here. Cecilie Manz studied at Copenhagen’s Danish Design School with one deviation to Helsingfors where her Danish

Two TresTles and a Table Top for The resT of your life

“there are some who claim that minimalism is dead. i disagree strongly. i think that simplifying furniture and avoiding things you don’t need still holds,” explains cecilie manz about her table, essay™.

favourite, Poul Kjærholm, competed with Alvar Aalto’s design ideas. The inspiration for her own work, however, comes from completely different places. “There is no reason to find inspiration in someone who does the same thing as you. I am inspired by a trip to the museum or a situation in daily life. That’s how it is with this table,” she explains, referring to her own daily life with two children and a working husband. “There are four of us in the family and we often have four projects going on at one time. The table had to be able to gather these projects in one place because you often want to be where life is happening and where everyone else is. And if you think about it, after the bed, the table is probably the most important piece of furniture in a home.”

It is quite ordinary for Cecilie to let the moments of everyday life form the basis for her design ideas. For example, seeing a tradesman use a painter’s ladder as a chair gave her the idea to design a ladder with a built-in seat and backrest. In the same way, a sweater hanging on a door handle became a sculptural wood construction with lots of wooden pegs; perfect for placing clothes on it. Actually, the ladder was one of the first products Cecilie put into production. For a newly qualified designer, it is not easy to get your things out there on the market, and she was almost ready to give up when a German manufacturer called and said that he wanted to make the ladder. “I was convinced that one of my friends was making a prank call. Fortunately, he persuaded me that he was actually serious.”

Tell us about the table! “Well, it’s very simple. There are two trestles and a top. Easy. I have tried

to make it as simple as possible. There is no frame and no bars beneath the table. There are some who claim that minimalism is dead. I disagree strongly. I think that simplifying furniture and avoiding things you don’t

need still holds. This trestle is very compact; remember that I have only had clay to play with. Therefore, there are some details about it I am very happy about. And then, of course, the table is solid. That is important to emphasise. You can spill stuff on it and then polish it up again. It’s a table for the rest of your life – and then your children can inherit it, if they want.”

Why is that important to emphasise? “I am of the opinion that if you produce something durable and beautiful,

then a great number of years can go by before it needs to be replaced. That’s not the case with the cheap, mass-produced products that fill up the rubbish dumps after a few years’ use. In the same way, aesthetics is connected to awareness. If, for example, I buy a ‘Kinastol’ (China chair™ by Hans Wegner) then I would never throw it out. It is so beautiful that I can look at it for the rest of my life.”

The collaboration with Fritz Hansen began in May 2007. The task was to design a long table for the private market and the fact that the table would stand in homes for fami-lies was what interested Cecilie.

Traditionally, Fritz Hansen’s products have been directed towards the contract market, so focusing Essay toward the private market marks a new direction for the company.

The designer says that one of her favourite moments as a design student was when the class went on an excursion to the company’s headquarters. “A visit at Fritz Hansen would mean that I would immerse myself, like a nerd, in some detail like a joint or an edge that was executed in an exciting way. I am probably a nerd when it comes to details. That’s also why I am crazy about Kjærholm. He was so occupied by detail that even an ordinary Allen screw became a special detail in his designs and in return gave it a new meaning. That’s just fantastic. Poul Kjærholm is elitist – and that’s not a negative word in my book.”

Cecilie gets up and moves around several times while we speak. One moment she’s at her work table Googling pictures of her furniture favourites, the next, she’s fishing out some exciting prototypes. Later in the day, it’s her own private family projects she’ll need to focus on. You can easily imagine the designer sitting with her laptop at one end of the table while the children draw pictures at the other and her husband sets the table in the middle. Or something altogether different.

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The Series 7™ is available in new colours which emphasise the beauty of Fritz Hansen’s new table, Essay™.

17E S S a y ™

Simple lineS and honeSty characteriSe the lateSt work that deSigner cecilie manz haS created for fritz hanSen – a Solid wooden table that inviteS the whole family to enjoy daily life around it.

ESSAY™A TABLE FOR LIFE

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Cecilie Manz has designed a table for the whole family.

19E S S a y ™

Quality, honesty and thoughtful design without frills. These qualities form the foundation of Fritz Hansen’s new table Essay ™, which is built on the principles of long-lasting design and long-lasting materials. Essay is a flexible table

with all the prerequisites to make it a modern classic. The table is designed by Danish designer Cecilie Manz, who has received the Danish Design award twice, along with several international design prizes, for her elegant interpretations of Scandinavian modernism.

Essay is designed as a table that sits at the heart of the home. Composed of three elements – a top and two bases – it is distinguished by the way it manages to appear both solid and light at the same time.

The solid table top seems to float elegantly on the frame.

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Essay™ can be expanded to cover all needs at the same time.

E S S a y ™ 21

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These days the dining table plays an important role as the gathering point where family, friends and visitors meet before going out into the world to pursue their various activities. In this way, the central table in the living room, the kitchen or the family room must fulfil many roles beyond the obvious, so it needs to be a functional table that can accommodate and endure the family’s hustle and bustle for many, many years. Essay fulfils these needs. It is available in four sizes and can be adjusted to each family’s particular requirements and lifestyles. Moreover, the table can be lengthened with black linoleum extensions. There is room on the table to just push the laptop, toys, newspapers and schoolbooks aside when it’s time for dinner. It invites you to sit down and participate in conversation – or the cooking. The table functions just as well as a setting for a children’s birthday party as for a business meeting or a New Year’s Eve dinner. Its simple lines can be combined limitlessly and remain fresh through changing times and trends. Since the table is made entirely from solid wood, it will last a lifetime and in this way represents the most outstanding form of sustainability.

The Series 7™ in its various colours suits the table’s timeless design.

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The sharp-edged form is softened by the trestle legs’ soft round edges.

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37-year-old Cecilie Manz is recognised for her approach to design, which is characterised by a rare consistency from idea to finished product. As a designer, she thinks creatively but always with respect for materials and functionality. In her table Essay, this approach is evident in its simple lines and sharp-edged form, which are softened by the trestle legs’ soft rounded edges, while the solid wood in warm nuances – oak, ash, black-coloured ash and walnut – creates a calm and homely atmosphere.

During the launch, at The Salone del Mobile in Milan, the table was presented together with Arne Jacobsen’s most famous and best-selling stacking chair, the Series 7™. The chairs were introduced in seven new colours which fall in line with current interiors trends: from a dramatic neon pink which lights up the whole room to a dusty, discreet, sophisticated olive green. The colours have been selected by seven young, upcoming designers: Maarten Baas, Arik Levy, Fabio Novembre, Jaime Hayon, Sebastian Bergne, nendo and Autoban. These new colours contribute to bringing out the beauty of Essay – but can of course be used in other combinations.

The table can be lengthened with black linoleum extensions.

rin™ iS innovative and progreSSive and at

the Same time inviteS you to Sit in it for hourS and hourS

B638, black linoleum

25E S S a y ™

Essay™ is made of solid wood and therefore can last a lifetime.

classic with a twistArne JAcobsen’s populAr stAcking chAir, series 7tm, gets A new twist And will be lAunched in A new version with blAck legs.A rne Jacobsen’s stacking chair, Series 7™, from 1955 is popular due to its lightness, flexibility and excellent comfort. It is a favourite choice thanks to its classic design and in the course of time it has turned into a modernistic icon. The chair is a popular choice among architects, interior designers, scenographers and stylists. It is also a very popular kitchen and dining room chair used in many private homes. To maintain the ‘energy’ and the spirit of the times, Fritz Hansen keeps on adding new twists to the chair. From February 2010 it will be available in a black leg version.

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classic with a twist

Nikolaj Hübbe, the Royal Danish Ballet’s artistic director. Through his entire life he has furnished his surroundings in a minimalist way to create a calm contrast to a working life that’s complex and occasionally chaotic. Initially a solo dancer at the Royal Danish Theatre, he moved to the New York City Ballet and is now back in Copenhagen. Here, he talks about the PK22™ lounge chairs which have lived with him ever since he left homeWhat was the first Danish furniture design you owned? “When I left home at 18 and moved into a teeny-tiny apartment behind the Royal Danish Theatre, I was given six Ant™ chairs, a Kjærholm table and two PK22 chairs by my parents. The furniture moved with me to New York and they have returned with me to Denmark again when I moved back a year ago.”Were your parents interested in furniture design? “They were a young academic couple who decorated with Danish design like so many others of their generation. It was my mother in particular who was interested in it. She made sure that money was saved for Poul Kjærholm, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Henningsen.”

Artistic director NikolAj Hübbe wAs giveN two Pk22tm cHAirs by His PAreNts wHeN He

left Home At tHe Age of 18. siNce tHeN, kjærHolm’s two louNge cHAirs HAve

moved witH Him, first to New york ANd Now bAck to coPeNHAgeN wHere todAy

tHey sit iN His office At tHe royAl dANisH tHeAtre. Here He tAlks About His relAtioNsHiP

witH dANisH desigN.

“Simplicity iS the antidote to all the crazineSS”

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early this summer, the royal danish Ballet, with Nikolaj hübbe at the head, spent a month in tokyo where they performed “Napoli” and “romeo and Juliet”, and appeared before the tokyo international Forum with esther Lee Wilkinson’s ballet “egg” in collaboration with Fritz hansen.

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Were they very preoccupied with Danish design? “In reality I don’t think they were. It was quite normal back then to buy Danish products. At that time, awareness of Danish design was brought about by some enormously skilled furniture artists and so it was obvious that they were the ones to follow. It was something you just did, I think.” How do you mean? “Well, today we have a different approach to international design from Italy, France and the rest of the world. But when my parents were young, you chose from your own kind. Danes were skilled and names like Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer were way under the radar.” Which furniture do you remember most clearly from your childhood? “My parents had a Børge Mogensen sofa in leather. Today it has been reupholstered because as a child I loved biting in it. With a very special technique, I could sink my teeth into both sides of the backrest.” In your office on Kongens Nytorv there are two PK22 chairs that you were given back then. What do they mean to you? “I love their simplicity. They are incredibly beautiful to the eye and over time they have been with me through a good portion of my life. But there is also some psychology in it, especially since I took on the position as the head in Copenhagen. PK22 is a very low piece of furniture, which is incredibly practical for meetings. So I can sit low in it and in doing so take the ‘sting’ out of a meeting with ‘the boss’. When people look down at you, it eases the conversation.”

Your office is not overflowing with pictures from your own time as a ballet dancer. Isn’t it standard practice? “I hate that. It is so pathetic when retired ballet dancers paper the walls with pictures that witness former accomplishments.”How have you furnished your home? “I have more or less grown up in the theatre. Everyday life is incredibly colourful and flamboyant. Perhaps that’s why I have always had a need to live as simply as possible. I have constantly surrounded myself with only my most necessary possessions. Clean lines. Black, white, shades of brown and grey… The boldest things I’ve ever acquired are Kelim carpets.” But have you always stuck to that principle? Honestly? “OK, in the 1980s there were these Arteluce lamps that were supposed to be so smart. Man, they were ugly!” Why do you think you live in the way you do? “I think it helps me. When you are complex inside your head and a disorganised person of the worst kind, living simply is what is required. It has become the antidote to all the craziness.”

“i have more or less grown up in the theatre. everyday life is incredibly colourful and flamboyant. perhaps that’s why i have always had a need to live as simply as possible.

The work of archiTecTs and designers is noT as black and whiTe as in The pasT. The mono-chrome buildings and furniTure of days gone by are now being replaced by colourful innovaTion.

Colourful New world

located in Copenhagen the residents of VM Bjerget call the sloping elevator the Heimdal Express when it runs up and down the residential complex.This complex was recently elected as the world’s best example within its category. Heimdal is a Nordic god who guards the rainbow, which functions as a bridge to eternal life. The idea of the rainbow makes sense because Bjerget’s interior is full of all

the colours of the rainbow – starting with green in the bottom and blue at the top as a symbol of the sky.

The Danish firm of architects, BIG, with architect Bjarke Ingels at the head, are responsible for VM Bjerget. With this colourful building, BIG has shown itself as an exponent of the world-wide, new-found interest in using colour in design. There was a time when ‘a bold architects’ grey’ was jokingly referred to as a picture of fear of colour that characterised architectual firms for many years. In recent decades, architecture has been in steel, glass and concrete and, if absolutely necessary, combined

Herzog & de Meurons award winning Laban Dance Centre in London.

Interior of Laban Dance Centre

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’Lichtwerk’ in Düsseldorf by Lepel og Lepel

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Colourful New world

with natural shades of stone or wood. Those days are now gone. Modern architects around the world are experimenting by creating new spaces with the use of colour. For example, a wall can seem three-dimensional by adding colourful surfaces.

The world-famous Swiss architects, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who among other things are responsible for the modernising of the Tate Modern in London and recently received the Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects, are among those who are known for their active work with colour.

In London, people now dance in a semi-circular glass building at the Laban Dance Centre, designed by Herzog and de Meuron. Ten years ago, this would probably have been constructed in glass and concrete, but instead metre-high coloured surfaces in glass have been constructed resulting in an exciting and vital building. The same pair of architects are responsible for the spectacular bird’s nest stadium in Beijing where the ‘post box’ red chairs and the green lawns peek through the many branch formations of white concrete.

The trend has made its impact in smaller ways as well. In newly constructed restaurants and private homes, architects and interior designers are taking the leap into colour. One example is the French firm of architects, DF Knoll. “When possible, we love to use colour because it adds life to our projects. It makes the room vibrate with joy, optimism and light,” says architect Fabrice Knoll. In Germany, there appears to be no fear of colourful sensations for future design. At the firm of architects, Lepel Lepel, Reinhard Lepel explains how colour is about atmosphere: “Colours affect people. They calm, surprise, delight and much more. We love giving people a roller-coaster ride from calm to surprising experiences. We observe how people react to colour and make our conclusions based on that.”

The Swedish Wingårdhs firm of architects has collaborated with Fritz Hansen on several occasions, for instance on Clarions prestige hotel in Stockholm, which is another good example of how colourful interiors and furniture can add those extra facets which make the building come alive.

“Colourful interiors attract us because they give energy and enjoyment,” says architect Gert Windgårdh.

The colour revolution is not a surprising development when taking cultural history into consideration. New paradigms replace the old. But who are to be credited for the change is a matter of preference. With their colourful buildings all the way from Sydney to Berlin, the German firm of architects, Sauerbruch Hutton, are recognised as pioneers in their new use of colours. At a well-attended lecture in Amsterdam, architect Matthias Sauerbruch explained that when colours are to be found for his structures, this work can be best compared to that of an artist working on his canvas.

Also the colours of the spectacular renovation of the “Reichstag” building in Berlin by architect Sir Norman Foster were turned up a notch. Visitors are welcomed under the impressive glass dome with a relief depicting the German flag. The interior’s yellow, black and red colours with a touch of metal are remarkably warm and appealing. The renovation in 1999 left the majority of architects astounded by all the colours, is one of the earliest examples of the dominating colourful trend among modern architects.

Today there is no doubt the future looks colourful. At Fritz Hansen colours are welcomed as a creative and interesting means to both inspire new design products with new interpretations and to revitalise the classics. Most recently, Fritz Hansen has supplied Hiromichi Konno’s new RIN™ chair with four new colours: light blue, grey, green and red, just like the 7 series™ chair was presented in seven new colours providing completely new opportu-nities for furnishing. To be brief: the time for colour has arrived.See more at www.fritzhansen.com

Clarions hotel in stockholm designed by Wingårdhs.

the french firm Df knoll always works in colours. Here is a hotel corridor in Cannes.

the two Danish architectural firms jDs og BIG are behind the building complex VM Bjerget in Copenhagen.

saB - Museum sammlung Brandhorst by sauerbruch Hutton

s the world was licking its wounds after the second world war the lack of materials forced designers to think in new and challenging ways; maybe it was the sheer optimism that came with the end of the war. Whatever the reason, this is an era of innova-tion that we look back on now with a touch of envy. Here we take a closer look at 10 pivotal designs that

brought us into the modern era.

BuBBle lamps, usa One of the most outstanding lighting creators in American modernism was George Nelson, whose simple ‘bubble lamps’ took the world by storm when they came out in the beginning of the 1950s. The design of the pendant lamps were spartan with opaque, soft-white plastic pulled over a flimsy metal frame in pure geometric shapes: spherical, oval or cylin-drical. Among other things, Nelson’s originality consisted of enclosing the strong source of light so the lamp functioned as a kind of beaming sphere that softens the electric light bulb’s harsh direct glow. The success was so immense that today they are not only on show in the permanent exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, but are also manufac-tured and sold very successfully around the world.

The swanTm and The eggTm One of Denmark’s best known representatives of this golden age of design is Arne Jacobsen. He has the honour of bringing modernism with its pure forms, clean lines and functionality into Denmark. After the Second World War, Denmark was characterised by poverty and a lack of everything from food to materials. Arne Jacobsen returned home after hiding from the Nazis in Sweden – and Danish design was about to bloom. In his architecture as well as in his furniture design, he combined modernist ideals with the Nordic predilection for the organic – both in shapes and materials. In 1950 he secured both his own and Fritz Hansen’s names a place in furniture history with the design of the Swan™ and the Egg™ – both were designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. He was responsible for designing all the details from the basement to the attic, including interiors. The Swan and the Egg were born in Arne Jacobsen’s garage, with the seat and backrest formed from a single piece – the epitome of organic minimalism, perfect for modern life in an up-to-date building of the type Arne Jacobsen provided for the Danes in post-war times.

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EvEn though rEsourcEs wErE scarcE in thE post-war yEars, it was a timE of dEsign brEak-throughs: a timE whEn modErnists likE arnE JacobsEn and poul kJærholm wErE EmErging with thEir iconic furniturE. but classic dEsigns that arE still acclaimEd today wErE bEing crEatEd in othEr quartErs too.

George Nelson’s bubble lamps

Arne Jacobsen’s Egg™, Series 3300™ and Swan™ at the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen

Architect John Lautner’s luxury home, The Chemosphere

The golden erA of design

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The Chemosphere, usa Few American houses have been as photographed and revered to as architect John Lautner’s extravagant millionaire resi-dence. In all its stark simplicity, the octagonal luxury home towers over the top of a 10-metre high concrete base in the middle of Hollywood Hills’ overgrown slopes, looking like a UFO hovering over the hillside. It cemented its position long ago as a lighthouse in the confusing sea of Californian modernism, which is why copies of the imposing and surprising construction have appeared in several films and TV series, most recently in the kitsch big-screen revival of Charlie’s Angels – as the villain’s extravagant lair, of course.

ray-Ban wayfarer, usaSunglass fashion changes incessantly. With one exception: Ray-Ban Wayfarer. These classic, square-edged sunglasses appeared on the streets in the States in 1952 and proved immediately popular. Not least because their black, moulded plastic frame was a welcome replacement for the flimsy metal frame of post-war times. But the glasses only became a thun-dering success after the hit movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn wearing them in the lead role. Since then, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer has been the preferred outdoor ‘mask’ for Hollywood stars and pop idols trying to ward off the sun, flashbulbs and curious gazes. The design has basically remained unchanged since it first saw the light of day – and regardless of whether Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan or Will Smith wore them, Ray-Bans have always been a hit. No doubt the shades will continue their reign now that the USA’s newly elected president, Barack Obama, also prefers to protect his vision against harmful UV rays behind the classic frames.

VolVo p1800, sweden It’s a cheeky, aerodynamic sports car that still draws admiring glances when it rolls down the street. And it’s not British, American or Italian – but Swedish. The Volvo P1800 was the Swedish car manufacturer’s attempt at copying US car manu-facturer Chevrolet’s immensely successful Corvette. But in contrast to the American’s large, bragging look, the Swedish designer chose to pursue underplayed elegance which suited the car-conscious bachelor perfectly: a young man who wanted speed, comfort and the satisfaction of driving in a stylish framework without appearing unnecessarily ostentatious. It was the perfect vehicle for gentleman thief Simon Templar, who zipped around in his ivory coloured Volvo P1800 in all of the episodes of early-Sixties TV-series The Saint, with Roger Moore in the lead role. And the Swedish sports car’s timelessly stylish lines are also one of the reasons why it has been written into car history as one of the most important sports-car models.

omega speedmasTer professional, swiTzerland There are two basic requirements that any wristwatch has to fulfil: it must show the time and look good. At the beginning of the 1960s, NASA chose the Omega Speedmaster Professional, designed in 1957, as standard equipment for all American astronauts due to the infallible clockwork precision of the watch’s chronometer. But even more importantly, it is the elegant and robust design of the Swiss watch that has made it a classic around the world. Slim, white hands glide round a pitch-black dial with its countless time indicators, surrounded by the black tachymeter. This simple design has had such an impressive impact that Omega has chosen to retain the watch’s original design through the years without casting a glance at the changing whims of fashion.

Audrey Hepburn wearing Wayfarers in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s

"The Saint" Roger Moore drove a Volvo P1800

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Vespa, iTaly What do Dean Martin, Gene Kelly and Kim Novak have in common with Liam Gallagher, Nicole Kidman and Barbie? They all have a weakness for the Vespa – the only two-wheeled vehicle that has basically retained streamlined-yet-curvy design since the first models in the 1950s. The Vespa was Italy’s bombed-aircraft-factory gift to poor post-war Italians, a small, cheap and simultaneously elegant scooter whose gear-shift, in contrast to the traditional foot pedals of motorcycles, was placed in the left handle. Thus the fashion-conscious southern Europeans could move around quickly without scratching the toes of their shoes or getting oil on their trouser creases. The Vespa was an immediate success in Italy and received an enormous international push with Willie Wyler’s film classic Roman Holiday, where an impeccably dressed Gregory Peck raced around Rome’s winding streets with a very young Audrey Hepburn on the back seat. The scooter’s beautifully rounded metal bodywork and the ingenious seat design is one of the primary reasons for its colossal popularity among female drivers, as the Vespa is the only two-wheeler that can be driven with closed legs in both ball gowns and tight skirts.

smeg refrigeraTor, iTalyThe Italians’ need for perfectionistic beauty and unique design spread like wildfire across the country in the 1950s. Women and men began to once again focus on fashion, trends and individualism. And this strong current of desire to renounce the Second World War’s grey and boring trends also moved into the heart of Italy itself – the kitchen. In 1948, SMEG was founded by Vittorio Bertazzoni in the small town of Guastalla in the Reggio Emilia district. With a mantra to create technology with style, SMEG became Italy’s leading domestic appliance manufacturer and star architects like Mario Bellini and Renzo Piano also designed for the company. And this was at a time when it was most definitely not consi-dered so cool to be involved in kitchen equipment. The classic and stylish refrigerator even had minor roles in films and TV series, the rounded corners becoming world-renowned, affording a domestic appliance manufacturer almost iconic status, which was previously unheard of.

le CreuseT’s ‘Coquelle poT’, franCe French Le Creuset’s cast-iron kitchen equipment is as well known among master chefs as among hobby gourmet cooks interested in design. Le Creuset has been on the market for more than 80 years, but the French brand had its first design breakthrough in the 1950s. Here, the French cooking-equipment people forged a wise alliance with the French designer Raymond Loewy, who was perhaps the most famous designer of the time based in the USA. He took a casserole dish and made it into a must-have in the kitchen in a time when women had otherwise left the stoves and were on their way to liberation in their brand new, click-clacking stiletto heels. The design was a perfect combination of the old French country kitchen and American-inspired modernity – an example of the ideal of design during the industrial revolution. The tight design with the round form fitted perfectly into the need for streamlined progress. The result was a casserole you would be proud to display in your kitchen.

roger ViVier sTileTTos, franCe One of fashion’s sharpest, most innovative designs was given to the women in France in the 1950s: the stiletto. In Paris, the sluggish times of ration coupons and worn-out, asexual clothing were finally over. Women and men yearned for new times, new inspiration, and the textile industry faced a period of growth rarely seen in the industry’s history. As one of the first fashion creators, Christian Dior revolutionised women’s appe-arance with the so-called New Look: wasp waists, brave materials and, of course, lots and lots of fabric. New Look was far removed from the years of rationing and anything but practical; instead, it had to show energy and be spectacular, free-minded and different. The stiletto heel was intro-duced to fashion by French designer Roger Vivier. He returned to Paris from New York after the Second World War and designed shoes for Dior, and it was Vivier who gave the feet a place of honour in fashion’s new landscape. Women celebrated the time with a foot more sharply cut than ever before, balancing on a mixture of steel and plastic. From a worm’s eye view, the world would never the same again.

Vespa has always been known for their stylish campaigns.

Roger Vivier stilettos

A French Le Crueset casserole

Smeg refrigerator

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The classic Series 7™ chair is available today in five different versions. From the original coloured ash over Arne Jacobsen’s preferred finish, painted beech, to the exclusive high-gloss lacquer.

ClASSiC in lACquer

Coloured ashColoured ash exudes raw power with its hard-wearing finish. it differs from the rest in that the grain of the wood is clearly visible, providing the chair with an organic and authentic look. Coloured ash comes in 12 colours

Painted beeChArne Jacobsen loved the elegant structure of painted beech. not only did the muted texture ensure a uniform colour, but the finish also made the painted beech surface robust and scratch-resistant. Painted beech comes in 12 colours.

Clear laCquerif you’re looking for a basic, natural look, pure wood is an obvious choice. The grain of the wood is fully visible, enhancing the chair’s organic forms. This traditional finish makes the chair extremely robust. available in 6 variants.

laCqueredFrom lime to cherry bloom. if you want the colour to really stand out, then lacquer is the thing. This finish gives the chair a uniform, silky soft surface with no wood grain visible. lacquered comes in 12 colours.

high-glossWith high-gloss lacquer the Series 7™ chair acquires a glamorous and exclusive look. This finish has no visible wood grain and provides the chair with an almost mirror-like surface. high-gloss comes in 6 colours.

Information: Austria Tel: +49 211 586709 0 Belgium Tel: +31 20 3016682 Denmark Tel: +45 48 17 23 00 Finland Tel: +358 40 749 0003

France Tel: +331 42 85 17 64 Germany Tel: +49 211 586709 0 Netherlands Tel: +31 20 3016688 Italy Tel: +39 02 3650 5606 Japan Tel: +81 3 5778 3100

North America Tel: +1 212 219 3226 Norway Tel: +47 22 54 65 65 Spain Tel: +39 02 3650 5606 Sweden Tel: +46 08 720 0720 Switzerland Tel: +41 41 763 0430

Dubai Tel: + 971 50 4519 322 United Kingdom Tel: +44 0844 800 8934 Other countries Tel: +45 48 17 23 00

WWW.FRITZHANSEN.COM

“lITTlE HElpERS”A new accessories series of little Helpers.Be the first to know the shape of things to come and sign up for a free republic magazine and the Republic of Fritz Hansen™ newsletter on www.fritzhansen.com

Dot™ by Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen, Coat Tree™

by Sidse Werner and little Friend™ by Kasper Salto