Design Icon: Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chair
Instantly recognisable for its curved and elegant shell-shape silhouette, the Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chair is a true mid-century masterpiece.
Designed by Arne Jacobsen and manufactured by Fritz Hansen, this innovative and cutting-edge piece isn’t without a colourful history.
Cue a story of mistaken identity, political scandal and cultural intrigue that has lasted to this day.
About Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen
These two celebrated names in design are forever linked through their hand in the creation of the Series 7™ chair in 1955, an iconic pairing of Scandinavian minimalism and architectural ingenuity.
Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971) was a Danish architect and designer famous for shaping modernist design with his minimalist yet functional pieces, including the iconic examples of Scandinavian design, the Egg and Swan chairs.
Jacobsen’s innovative and simplistic approach to practical and beautiful designs continues to influence generations of designers to this day.
Fritz Hansen, founded in 1872, is a legendary Danish furniture manufacturer celebrated for craftsmanship and design innovation. Known for collaborating with visionary designers like Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen’s focus on quality and aesthetics has made it synonymous with high-end furniture with a timeless appeal.
The History of the Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chair
The Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chair emerged during the post-war modernist era, a period of creative reawakening after the tensions and tragedies of WWII. During this period of significant cultural and societal change came a shift in design.
Away from ornamentalism and transitioning into clean, organic lines, practicality and minimalism, The Series 7™ Chair™ embodied this design shift perfectly.
The Scandal
We cannot talk about the Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chair ™ without mentioning the controversy it found itself caught up in during a political scandal of the 1960s.
The chair gained cultural notoriety when a high street copy of the design appeared straddled by model Christine Keeler in a photograph taken by Lewis Morley in 1963 and came into circulation during the peak of the Profumo affair.
The Profumo affair involved the British politician John Profumo, Christine Keeler and the Soviet naval attaché Yevgeny Ivanov, leading to fears of espionage; shaking British politics at a time of political turbulence.
Whilst the chair was not an original Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chair, the association boosted the piece’s prominence and fame.
The Materials
The materials used in the Series 7™ Chair were groundbreaking in their own right. The seat and backrest are crafted from pressure-moulded laminated veneer.
A pioneering material and technique of the time, it allowed for a seamless, sculptural form that was also lightweight and robust.
The legs of the chair were crafted from chromed or powder-coated steel, providing sturdiness and sleekness in equal measure.
The chair uses minimal materials, which further bolsters the mid-century modernist approaches of efficiency and simplicity.
The combination of moulded plywood and steel meant that the chairs were well-positioned for mass production. The result? The Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chair™ was widely accessible without trading in on quality.
A new update to the chair is the Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chair Velvet Edition, which was introduced in 2019. The chair is reimagined with brown bronze legs and luxurious Italian velvet upholstery. It comes in sophisticated, rich shades like Misty Rose, Autumn Red, and Grey Blue.
This new take on the classic chair pays tribute to its enduring legacy.
The Form and Technique
As we know, the pressure-moulded laminated veneer allows for a single, fluid form. This shape adapts effortlessly to the human body, making it also an early example of ergonomic design, as ergonomic principles filtered into furniture design.
This now-famous curved silhouette adds elegance and a sculptural quality to its form, with a notable absence of sharp angles, bringing a harmonious aesthetic.
The placement of the legs, angling slightly outwards also adds to the strong yet airy structural approach.
The plywood-moulding technique itself involved a 9-layer veneer construction, pressed into shape under heat and pressure. Thus, a highly durable and uniquely cut structure could be produced.
Where to buy the Series 7 Chair?
The Series 7™ Chair is still manufactured by Fritz Hansen to this day and sold through select retailers.
At Holloways of Ludlow we proudly sell a variety of original Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chair as well as many of the variations that have been released since, including the velvet edition.
They are listed for your interest here:
The Series 7™ Classic Side Chair by Fritz Hansen
The Series 7™ Swivel Chair by Fritz Hansen
The Series 7™ Armchair by Fritz Hansen
The Series 7™ Swivel Armchair by Fritz Hansen
The Series 7™ Bar Stool by Fritz Hansen
The Series 7™ Children’s Version by Fritz Hansen
What colours do the Fritz Hansen Series 7™ Chairs come in?
At Holloways of Ludlow we proudly sell the original Fritz Hansen Series 7 Chairs in wood finishes ranging from Dark Stained Oak to Maple to suit your desired aesthetic.