Danish Modern

Chairs made Denmark a design nation: Wegner, Juhl, Mogensen, Jacobsen and Kjærholm combined craft and industry.

After the war the Danish furniture architects reached an international public. Hans J. Wegner made chairs in solid wood for workshops such as Johannes Hansen and Carl Hansen & Søn – The Chair in 1949 and the Wishbone Chair in 1950. Finn Juhl made sculptural armchairs in teak, and Børge Mogensen simple, sturdy furniture for the cooperative retailer FDB.

Arne Jacobsen turned to industry. The Ant and the Series 7 from Fritz Hansen were made of moulded plywood on steel legs, and the SAS Royal Hotel became a whole in which everything was his. Poul Kjærholm worked with steel and leather, Nanna Ditzel with rattan, and Verner Panton broke every rule with plastic and strong colours.