A new look at the design of Ole Wanscher, via Carl Hansen & Son
"Ole Wanscher (1903-1985), whose furniture designs are now considered classics, was an architect and professor of architecture, specializing in furniture design. Treating furniture design as if it were a branch of architecture, Wanscher paid utmost attention to construction and form. He studied under and apprenticed for Kaare Klint (who’s Safari Chair Carl Hansen & Son is also producing) and later followed in his footsteps to become a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Known to be a student of furniture design wherever his travels took him, Wanscher was especially influenced by his trips through Europe and Northern Africa. He embraced his impressions gathered on these voyages and brought them to his own sensibility. It was in Egypt that he found the inspiration for his Egyptian Folding Chair. During his Egyptian excursions, Wanscher became fascinated with the old seats that historically represented power with a sense of dignity and elegance, and he designed the chair with this in mind...
Recently, Carl Hansen & Son has acquired the manufacturing rights for this design and will be distributing it in the US for the first time. The chair typifies the elegant, decorative and functional qualities seen in many of Wanscher’s classic designs. Stable and light, the seat easily folds for easy transport and storing."
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