Verner Panton (1926-1998) was indisputably one of the most significant designers in Denmark during the 20th century. In fact he was one of the most trend-setting designers in all of Europe during the 1960’s.
Throughout Panton’s career he created highly innovative furniture using materials which were not very common at the time. He pioneered the use of moulded plastics. His design work was often characterized by brilliant colors and very futuristic designs.
Verner Panton was born in Copenhagen in 1926. He attended a technical school in Odense and trained as an architectural engineer. He later attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from where he graduated in 1951.
Cone Chair (1956)
At the start of the Nineties Panton was working on a revised new edition of his Cone Chair, which was designed in the late Fifties for Plus-linje. The main changes were in the material and the shape of the feet. The main body of the chair was now optionally made from acrylic glass or leather. The original cross-shaped foot was replaced by a round metal plate or a foot made with five supports of bent steel tubing. As a result of the change in material there was also a change in the form of the typical, cone shaped body of the chair. In particular in the case of the Heart Cone the two wings of the back rest have less spread.
Material:
leather with metal or acrylic glass with metal, foam upholstery and cover fabric in white, black, yellow, violet, green, red and blue.
Panton Chair (1960)
An icon of the 20th century, the Vitra Panton Chair is a sculptural cantilevered chair that has won numerous international design awards. It’s anthropomorphic shape and slightly flexible polypropylene shell give this chair great comfort, but it took years of innovation to develop the chair we know and love today. We revisit its history.
Over the years, the unique S-shaped chair has been modified to reflect the advancements in plastics technology. The original was made from a fibreglass-reinforced polymer, a second version was created out of rigid polyurethane foam, a third from injection-moulded Luran S, and finally a fourth from polypropylene, which the chair is still made from today.
Bold and unusual, the chair received a lot of media attention and became a symbol of the progressive Sixties era. It was even featured on the front cover of Vogue, in a now-legendary shoot with British model Kate Moss.
While Verner Panton was educated as an architect his primary focus was always the designing furniture, lighting, and other interior decorations. He experimented with new unconventional shapes, and strong, bold colours. The materials he used were considered unusual at the time as were his production methods. Steel, plastic, and glass were some of his favourite materials. In 1955 he used tubular steel and woven plastic in his “Tivoli Chair” and his “Bachelor Chair”. These materials were almost unheard of in the design world.
Panton was considered to be a little of a rogue by the other big Danish architects and designers of the day. Poul Henningsen described Panton as being, “stubborn and forever young”. Panton’s extraordinary imagination and enthusiasm would help him produce some remarkable designs. His use of high-tech materials, weird shapes and bold colours was a blatant break from the other famous Danish designers who held fast in the Kaare Klint school of thought.
Verner Panton’s designs were always an obvious target for criticism. Panton was fearless when it came to experimenting with new shapes, new colours and new materials; because of this many people viewed him as an eccentric. Panton was never bothered by the criticism he received. He was a true innovator who loved his worked and he wanted to share it with the world. While there were criticisms of Verner’s work, the praise he received far outweighed the negative comments. Panton received many awards throughout his career.