Poul Henningsen, chair for Betty Nansens Theater in Frederiksberg

POUL HENNINGSEN (Denmark, 1894 - 1967).
Chair designed for the Betty Nansens theater in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen.
Tubular steel and orange leather.
Chair number 7.
Measurements: 80 x 50 cm.

The chairs that Poul Henningsen designed for the Betty Nansen Theater (formerly known as the Young Theater) in 1957 in Copenhagen are iconic pieces of Danish mid-century design. They are folding theater chairs, which was essential to save space in the auditorium rows when not in use. Originally, the design featured blue fabric upholstery on the seat cushion and backrest. Many preserved examples retain this original color or have been reupholstered in the palette of the period. Our example has orange upholstery.

Danish designer, architect and critic, Poul Henningsen was one of the key figures in Danish cultural life in the interwar period. He studied architecture between 1911 and 1917, but never graduated, as he decided to become an inventor and painter. Nevertheless, he worked as an architect and became one of the most prominent advocates of functionalism. In his career as a designer, his most famous creation was the "PH Artichoke" lamp, a simple lamp that used hallmarks of light to avoid glare and create an aesthetic effect of great beauty. Its success enabled Henningsen to finance his later work. He is currently representing at the Danish Museum of Art and Design, the MoMA in New York and the Victoria & Albert in London, among many others.