Hans J. Wegner
The driving force behind Danish Modern
Danish architect Hans J. Wegner is considered a pioneering furniture designer of the twentieth century.
Among Danish furniture designers, Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) is considered one of the most creative, innovative, and prolific. Often referred to as the master of the chair, Wegner created almost 500 in his lifetime – many of them considered masterpieces. His iconic CH24 Wishbone Chair is probably the most well-known and has been in continuous production since 1950.
Wegner was part of the spectacular generation that created what is today referred to as the Golden Age of modern Danish design. He is renowned for his precision, great insight into craftsmanship and uncompromising approach to design. This resulted in perfect joints, exquisite shapes, a constant curiosity about materials and a deep respect for the nature and inherent potential of wood. His furniture designs exhibit an intuitive connection between minimalist expression and an organic and inviting form that appeals to the senses.
Hans J. Wegner was born in 1914 in Tønder, as the son of a cobbler, but it was the smell of wood shavings that beckoned him during his childhood. By the age of 18, he had completed four years of training as a cabinetmaker with H. F. Stahlberg. He later moved to Copenhagen, where he studied at the School of Arts and Crafts from 1936 to 1938. He began his first chair experiments while he was still studying, focusing on the relationship between form, function and comfort. These led to his debut at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition in 1938.
After two years of study, Wegner began working with architects and designers Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller in Aarhus in 1938, where he was given the task of designing furniture for the new Aarhus City Hall.
During the same period, he began working with master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen, who played a major role in bringing modern design into public awareness in Denmark. Wegner’s extensive activities were optimized through close, long-term collaborations with people who recognized his potential and gave him the right conditions in which to develop his great talent.
The core of Wegner’s legacy is his focus on showing the inner soul of furniture pieces through a simple and functional exterior. Wegner’s background as a cabinetmaker gave him a deep understanding of how to integrate exacting joinery techniques with exquisite form. His aesthetic was also based on a deep respect for wood and its characteristics, and a vast curiosity about other natural materials that enabled him to bring an organic, natural softness to formalistic minimalism.
Hans J. Wegner established his own design studio in 1943, and Holger Hansen, son of Carl Hansen, kept a watchful eye on the talented furniture designer during the 1940s, realizing that a collaboration would provide great opportunities for the future development of the business. Keen to focus on chair design and bring his work to a wider audience, Wegner agreed to the partnership and immediately began working on new designs. Following a short, intensive period of work, Wegner created a legendary series of four chairs – including the iconic Wishbone Chair, which remains one of the finest examples of his keen understanding of materials and close working relationship with talented cabinetmakers.
Wegner designed a wealth of excellent furniture throughout his life. He particularly made his mark in design history with a wide range of chairs that are highly original and yet completely natural. Wegner loved being creative and had a prodigious output. Hundreds of his designs have been in production over the years, and many of them are still made to this day.
Wegner is seen as one of the most renowned and creative Danish furniture designers. He received many design awards, including the Lunning Prize in 1951, the Grand Prix of the Milan Triennale in 1951, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ Eckersberg Medal in 1956, Sweden’s Prince Eugen Medal in 1961, the Danish Furniture Prize in 1980, the C. F. Hansen Medal in 1982, and the 8th International Design Award in 1997.
He was made an Honorary Royal Designer for industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1959, became an honorary member of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1995, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the Royal College of Art in 1997. Almost all of the world’s major design museums, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen to Die Neue Sammlung in Munich, exhibit his works. Hans J. Wegner died in Denmark in January 2007, aged 92.
“Many foreigners have asked me how we created the Danish style. I’ve answered that it was a continuous process of purification and simplification – to cut down to the simplest possible design of four legs, a seat, and a combined back- and armrest.”
– Hans J. Wegner
A TRIBUTE TO HANS J. WEGNER
Discover our latest home visits
To honor the 110th anniversary of Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn presents a celebratory series of home visits with makers, thinkers and creators all having Wegner as a clear reference in both living and working. Discover the latest visits here.
Iconic Danish design for a new generation. Celebrating 110 years of Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen & Søn reveals the CH24 Children’s Wishbone Chair.
Considered one of the most famous symbols of Danish furniture design, the CH24 is, of course, also known as the Wishbone Chair. Globally admired, its elegant, curved frame is often spotted in the world’s best restaurants and hotels as well as homes all over the world.
The remarkable legacy of five chair designs by Hans J. Wegner has shaped the Carl Hansen & Søn philosophy for over 75 years and is a celebration of collaboration and craftsmanship.
Wegner's chairs are world famous, and it is with good reason that he is referred to as the Master of the Chair. In addition to the iconic Wegner Wishbone Chair, the Danish furniture designer is responsible for a wide range of lounge chairs and dining chairs.
In his highly productive career, Hans J. Wegner, the world-famous furniture designer, created some of the world’s best chairs.
Meet our designers
Anker Bak
Designer and cabinetmaker Anker Bak (b. 1983) is known for his problem-solving and human-centric design approach.
Arne Jacobsen
One of Denmark's best-known and most respected architects, Arne Jacobsen has become synonymous with modernism throughout the world. His precise yet expressive aesthetic continues to serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary designers.
Bodil Kjær
Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær has significantly contributed to the spread of Danish Modern design principles through her travels, knowledge gathering and promotion of the relationship between design and architecture.
Børge Mogensen
Cabinetmaker and designer Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) created durable and simple furniture with a focus on people and is today regarded as one of the most influential representatives of Danish Modern.
Bonderup & Thorup
After graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture in Copenhagen in 1969, Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup began a collaboration that led them to join forces on design projects across the globe for more than 20 years.
Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon is an American designer born in 1977. He entered the art and design world at a young age. His grandfather, a sculptor and industrial designer, and his father, a renowned artist, encouraged a passion for design, craftsmanship and materials that would last.
EOOS
The design studio EOOS, founded by Martin Bergmann (b. 1963), Gernot Bohmann (b. 1968) and Harald Gründl (b. 1967), enjoys a reputation for its poetic approach to design.
Frits Henningsen
Frits Henningsen was an uncompromising designer known for his perfectionism and vibrant personality. He gave new expression to traditional designs and viewed quality craftsmanship as essential. Unlike most cabinetmakers, he always designed his own furniture pieces.
Kaare Klint
Kaare Klint is recognized as the father of modern Danish design and a renowned furniture designer, educator, and visionary. He insisted on clear, logical design, clean lines, the best materials, and superb craftsmanship, as seen in his iconic Safari Chair from 1933.
Larsen & Bender Madsen
Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen designed around 300 works, including the Metropolitan Chair. While the chair was their favorite object, they also made other pieces from bedroom suites to bookshelves. The results were always simple and timeless.
Linie Design
Linie Design, a Danish design company, was founded in 1980 and since then has specialized in the development of handmade rugs in elegant designs and of the highest quality materials.
Mads Odgård
The dream of becoming a designer has lived in Mads Odgård for as long as he can remember, so when the time came, he left his birthplace, the Danish town of Kjellerup, and moved to Copenhagen to work in the creative business.
Mogens Lassen
Architect Mogens Lassen created works rooted in cubist architectural ideals inspired by Le Corbusier. Considered a pioneer of functionalism in Denmark, Lassen’s designs showcased his ability to express ideas through diverse materials.
Morten Gøttler
Born in Copenhagen, and originally trained in shipping, Morten Gøttler became a self-taught designer and architect recognized for his exceptional understanding of wood and strong belief that innovation is the foundation for successful design.
Nanna Ditzel
Her desire to explore spaces and experiment with techniques on the edge of what is possible led Nanna Ditzel – one of Danish design’s most distinctive personalities – to become acquainted with the entire design universe.
Ole Wanscher
Ole Wanscher was integral to the aesthetic and functionality of modern Danish design. Having studied under Kaare Klint, he helped shape Danish furniture design as a designer and as an educator when he took over Klint’s professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Poul Kjærholm
Poul Kjærholm mixed his strict, modern idiom with superior quality and materials rooted in Danish craftsmanship traditions. Despite his short career as a furniture designer, Kjærholm’s craftsmanship and clear expression resulted in timeless designs with a global influence.
Fabricius & Kastholm
Function and minimalism were the watchwords for Danish designers Preben Fabricius (1931–1984) and Jørgen Kastholm (1931–2007), when this design duo created a wide collection of design-led furniture and lighting of international renown.
Rikke Frost
Danish designer Rikke Frost has always been curious about the combination of different craft traditions and types of material, a fact clearly reflected in her design portfolio where traditional and contemporary design is expressed in sofas, tables, chairs and lamps with an organic idiom.
Strand & Hvass
The Strand + Hvass duo is part of a new breed of Danish designers whose work continues in a direct line from their celebrated predecessors. With the Extend Table design, they infused the modern Danish furniture tradition with a bold new expression.
Tadao Ando
Japanese architect Tadao Ando bases his work on a design philosophy that unites Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression. Inspired by Le Corbusier, Ando’s style is minimalistic and innovative, with a focus on functionality.
Thomas Bo Kastholm
Thomas Bo Kastholm creates designs that unite diverse materials into compelling compositions with clear purpose. The TK8 Daybed, with its close ties to the core principles of classic, modern Danish design, exemplifies Kastholm’s ideals.
