Carl Hansen & Son put into production the PK1, the first dining chair designed by Poul Kjærholm in 1955

Poul Kjærholm designed the PK1 - his first dining chair - in 1955. The light and elegant chair, now in production at Carl Hansen & Son, marked the beginning of an impressive career, serving as an outstanding example of the designer's unique ability to lend vitality to steel. The PK1's dynamic form, the interaction between the steel and the organic flag halyard, and the chair's accessibility, functionality and high comfort make it aperennial classic. Carl Hansen & Son is launching the PK1 alongs idea new variant of Poul Kjærholm's PK52 tables with a reversible laminate tabletop.

Carl Hansen & Son's deep respect for the great furniture designers from the Danish Golden Age of Design naturally extends toPoul Kjærholm, one of the most uncompromising furniture designers of his generation. To honour his legacy, the 109-year-old family business now presents Kjærholm's elegant PK1 dining chair.

“Poul Kjærholm had a penchant for steel, but he also valued organic materials - in this case, the flag halyard, which gives the light chair a welcoming feel that complements other furniture in our collection. Kjærholm's well-thought-out design is not only a feast for the eyes but also highly functional, pairing easily with both classic and modern tables. We are proud to have the opportunity to manufacture Kjærholm's first dining chair - a very elegant design from the master's hand,” says Carl Hansen & Son CEO Knud Erik Hansen.

“While very simple in all its details, the PK1 is unquestionably brilliant in its expression, and the chair's woven seat makes it very comfortable, as it gently molds to the body and provides support where it is needed,” explains Knud Erik Hansen. Prior to putting the PK1 into production, Carl Hansen & Son reviewed the design with Kjærholm's heirs, deciding to adapt the chair's dimensions to fit today's humans, who are larger and taller than when the PK1 was created in the mid-1950s. The adjustment has been made with respect for Kjærholm's original design parameters.

Uncompromising design

Today, the PK1 stands as an example of Kjærholm's uncompromising approach to design. Kjærholm did not view himself as someone who designed objects, but rather as someone who created spaces, and he strived to create harmony between form and material. Kjærholm had an artistic approach to design, and said that it was first and foremost the language of the materials that he aimed to express. He avoided anything flashy,searching instead for the authenticity of materials and the perfect crafting process.

This also applies to the PK1, which, despite its clean, minimal expression, is a complex chair that requires highly skilled craftsmanship, not least in the weaving of the flag halyard. The chair will be available in stainless, chrome-plated, or black powder-coated steel paired with natural or black flag halyard. Carl Hansen & Son will also offer an outdoor version of the PK1 with a stainless steel frame and light brown or black weather-resistant flag halyard. Both the indoor and outdoor variant scan be stacked up to five chairs.

Professor and Student Desksnow available with laminatetabletop

The same year he designed the PK1, Kjærholm also created a pair of tables as part of a stylish range of furniture for the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. These tables - the PK52, also called the Professor Desk, and the PK52A, or the Student Desk -were added to Carl Hansen & Son's collection in 2016.

Both tables, which until now have only been produced in Oregon pine or oak veneer in various finishes, are now also available with a reversible grey and black laminate tabletop. The tabletop rests on spacers, appearing to elegantly hover above the frame - one of the features that gives the tables the appealing lightness and precision characteristic of Kjærholm's design. The new laminate version lends the tables new functional and visual qualities, making them even more versatile, for instance as dining tables, and creating a new dynamic with the PK1 dining chairs.

The PK1'sdimensions are: 47cm (seat height), 77 cm (height), 48 cm (depth) and 51cm (width). The PK1 dining chair will be in stores from October 2017, with recommended retail prices starting at 304 € (excl. VAT).

The PK52 and PK52A tables with the reversible black/grey laminate tabletop will be in stores from October 2017, with recommended retail prices starting at 3.048 € (excl. VAT) for the Professor Desk (PK52) and 2.439 € (excl. VAT) for the Student Desk.

Source: Carl Hansen & Son

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