Five masterpieces united: CH25, CH22, CH26, CH23, and CH24 (left to right)
For more than 65 years Hans J. Wegner's legacy has shaped the philosophy of Danish furniture manufacturer Carl Hansen & Søn; for all Wegner's Masterpieces show what a long-lasting, good design can result from good cooperation and dedication to craftsmanship! In total, Hans J. Wegner designed more than 500 chairs, all with the goal of creating "just one good chair", the perfect chair. Whether he has managed to design the perfect chair is questionable - but he certainly succeeded in creating some masterpieces that today are considered genuine icons of modern Danish design. These include chairs such as the CH24, also known as the Wishbone Chair or Y Chair, or the CH25 Lounge Chair, which has been produced by Carl Hansen since its creation in 1950. Chairs such as the CH22 or CH23, however, were not consistently made, but are now available to anyone who appreciates the high quality wooden chairs and armchairs by Hans J. Wegner. Almost forgotten, but thankfully rediscovered in 2016, is the CH26, which speaks the same design language as the CH22 lounge chair, but is suitable as a dining chair. As a work the CH26 remained a draft sketch then, but is now produced entirely according to Hans J. Wegner's original drawings.
The CH25 Lounge Chair is one of Wegner's first pieces of furniture and is now faithfully produced by Carl Hansen & Søn
Today, on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the Scandinavian designer, Wegner's masterpieces are loved for their formative, timeless design - but at the time of their creation they were extremely avant-garde and innovative. It was Holger Hansen who recognised the potential of Wegner, who was still completely unknown at the time, and addressed him in order to win him over for a collaboration with Carl Hansen & Søn. The collaboration proved be a fruitful one that has left a lasting mark on the quality, craftsmanship, and creative character of the company - and continues to do so today.
Hans J. Wegner's CH24, also known as Wishbone Chair or Y Chair
The CH22 lounge chair and the CH26 dining chair are perfectly coordinated
Wegner's Masterpieces are today produced in Carl Hansen's factory in Gelsted, a tranquil town on the Danish island of Funen - and that naturally at the highest level craftsmanship quality. All of his early pieces show his innovative sense of ergonomics and the tangible significance of natural materials. For example, the seats of all five chairs are made of hand-woven natural cords - in the case of the CH25 requiring some 400 meters of material, from which trained weavers create the double-woven back and seat of the chair in about ten hours of work. The natural corded seats of the Hans Wegner chairs last a lifetime and can, if necessary, be re-woven, which makes the chairs a particularly attractive investment for generations.
The CH26 chair by Carl Hansen & Søn looks particularly elegant in black lacquered oak
Wegneritis An Itch; A Compulsion; A Just One Good Chair Formally catalogued in the WHO International Classification of Diseases as MB23.W1, Wegneritis is a condition exclusive to furniture designers first recorded in Denmark where Jørgensen Wegner, a Hans by...
...With the exhibition Hans J. Wegner: Designing Danish Modern the Vitra Design Museum Schaudepot explores the oeuvre of one of the Grand Doyens, and arguably one of the most widely misconstrued protagonists, of 20th century Danish design... But you simply cannot”1 opined Hans J. Wegner in 1952: and as if to prove his point designed over 500...
...Away from Milan April 214 saw us get to know the work of Pascal Howe at the DMY Design Gallery Berlin, experience the full depth of the Thonet chair design history at the Grassi Museum Leipzig, the work of Ola Kolehmainen, Okolo Offline at Depot Basel and wish Hans J. Wegner a happy 100th!...
...Written by Christian Holmsted Olesen, the Designmuseum Danmark's head of exhibitions and collections, and largely based on video interviews recorded with Wegner before his death and interviews with those who knew, understood and worked with Wegner, Just one good chair not only documents Hans J. Wegner's journey from teenage carpentry apprentice to the Grand Doyen of 20th century Danish furniture design, but also contains a register of Wegner's works... However, read through the sickly sweet prose and Just one good chair provides a comprehensive and very informative overview of Hans J. Wegner's approach to his work and his understanding of his responsibilities...
...Ola Kolehmainen – Geometric Light opens at Haus am Waldsee, Argentinische Allee 30, 14163 Berlin, Germany on Saturday April 5th and runs until May 17th "WEGNER - Just one good chair" at the Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark Hans J. Wegner is one of the most important representatives of Danish modern design... And so punctually to his 100th Birthday the Designmuseum Danmark Copenhagen are presenting the largest, most in depth exhibition devoted to Hans J. Wegner and his oeuvre ever staged...
