FRITZ HANSEN
Danish Design 🇩🇰

The Fritz Hansen story began in 1872, when cabinetmaker Fritz Hansen opened his first workshop in Copenhagen. A few years later, Fritz joined forces with his son Christian Hansen and began manufacturing high-quality furniture in 1885.

The fledgling Fritz Hansen company enjoyed rapid success, with prestigious commissions from major institutions such as the University Library, Copenhagen City Hall and the Court of Justice.

Christian began experimenting with veneered and molded beech at the beginning of the twentieth century, and by the 1930s, Fritz Hansen had become a world leader in veneered wood.

Fritz Hansen began collaborating with renowned Danish designers such as Kaare Klint, who brought out designer furniture inspired by German functionalism, with softened, uncluttered lines that laid the foundations for a style that would become world-famous under the name of Scandinavian Design.

New collaborations were forged after the war, with Hans Wegner (China chair, 1944), Børge Mogensen (spoke back sofa, 1945) and of course Arne Jacobsen, who was to become Fritz Hansen's main designer in the 1950s, with the Fourmi chair, the Serie 7 chair, the Grand-Prix chair and many other chairs made using the pressed and molded plywood technique perfected by Christian Hansen.

The creation of icons such as the Egg and Swan armchairs, designed by Arne Jacobsen for Copenhagen's Royal Hotel, further established the reputation and prestige of the Fritz Hansen brand. They were followed by numerous design masterpieces, such as the Drop chair, the Lily chair, the Little Giraffe chair, the little-known The Pot and Oksen armchairs, the AJ Side Trolley, the forgotten Writing Desk, the Serie 3300 and many other works by Arne Jacobsen.

And while other designers such as Verner Panton (Bachelor chair), Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein (authors with Arne Jacobsen of the iconic Superellipse table) collaborated with Fritz Hansen, it is Arne Jacobsen who dominates the brand's history.

In the 1980s, Fritz Hansen expanded its catalog by acquiring the rights to furniture designed by Poul Kjærholm between 1951 and 1980, adding a prestigious collection of Scandinavian design icons such as the PK22 armchair, the 61 table and many others, including the little-known PK0 A armchair and PK60 table, made in wood rather than steel like most of Poul Kjærholm's work.

Another big name in the Fritz Hansen catalog is Jaime Hayón. Although Spanish, Jaime Hayón is a lover of Scandinavian design, and Fritz Hansen owes him a number of iconic pieces, such as the sculptural Favn sofa, the modular Lune sofa, the comfortable Ro and Fri armchairs and the pretty Ikebana vase collection.

More recently, Fritz Hansen acquired the rights to a number of iconic pieces by American designer Paul McCobb, author of the lovely Planner coffee table and Planner shelving series.

Another great historical name in design to have joined the Fritz Hansen catalog is Danish designer Bodil Kjær, who was a key figure in the history of Danish mid-century design.

But Fritz Hansen is also about lamps, such as Christian Dell's famous Kaiser Idell suspensions, floor lamps, table lamps and wall lamps, icons of the Bauhaus; Cecilie Manz's Caravaggio lamps, a true modern classic; the highly geometric Cross-Plex lamps designed by Bodil Kjær in the early 60s, or the Concert suspension designed by Danish architect-designer Jørn Utzon for what is undoubtedly his architectural masterpiece, the Sydney Opera House.

Fritz Hansen is constantly expanding its collection of lighting fixtures, not hesitating to mix high-tech with classic materials, like the highly technical Oneline pendant by Danish designer K. F. Kjeldgaard, or the highly decorative Maluma lamp by Fumie Shibata.

Sometimes, this extension of the Fritz Hansen range is achieved by reissue, as with two lamps with very vintage aesthetics, the Silhuet and Orient suspension lamps designed by Jo Hammerborg in the 60s and 70s.

But perhaps the most remarkable addition to the Fritz Hansen range is the poetic Clam suspension lamp, designed by the duo Ahm and Lund in 2021 and an instant hit.

Another remarkable Fritz Hansen collaboration, the Via 57 armchair by Danish design studio KiBiSi, was designed to equip Bjarke Ingels' remarkable eponymous building in Manhattan, New York, on the banks of the Hudson.

This quick review of the Fritz Hansen catalog doesn't forget the very comfortable and sculptural Lissoni sofa by Piero Lissoni, one of Scandinavia Design's favorite pieces.Last but not least, Scandinavia Design can provide you with information and a sales proposal for any Fritz Hansen product, even if you don't see it on our website. We have samples of all Fritz Hansen products and would be delighted to talk to you to help you make your choice.Don't forget that Fritz Hansen is not just a manufacturer of furniture, lighting and home accessories: it's a history, an aesthetic, an ethic, a relationship to beauty, sustainability and well-being. Those unfamiliar with Fritz Hansen may have the initial impression that the products are expensive, because Fritz Hansen luxury is a discreet luxury that is discovered over time. The reality is that Fritz Hansen products offer remarkable value for money, precisely because this luxury is subtle and unobtrusive, so that you never tire of it.