Poul Kjærholm, the Modern Functionalist.
Born in Øster Vrå in northern Denmark, Poul Kjærholm (1929 – 1980) studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen where he would later teach. Trained as a cabinetmaker, he had a particular interest in construction materials; especially steel, which he considered a material deserving the artistic respect that was commonly awarded to wood.
Despite his short career as a furniture designer, Kjærholm’s exquisite craftsmanship and clear expression resulted in timeless designs whose influence extended globally and well beyond his own lifetime.
‘A piece of Poul’s furniture is like an elegant written character that gives the room in which it stands solidity and calm.’
The PK25™ was designed by Poul Kjærholm for his final graduation project at the School of Arts and Crafts in 1952. Also known as the ‘Element’ chair, the PK25 is a striking example of Kjærholm’s eagerness to transform common, industrial materials into striking works of art. Kjærholm was determined to reduce the chair to a single piece of each material, resulting in its overarching hallmark: the continual steel frame that bends through the form without interruption.
Two years after the designer’s passing, the Kjærholm trustees entrusted Fritz Hansen with the production and sales of ‘The Kjærholm Collection’– designs developed by Poul Kjærholm from 1951 to 1967.
Fritz Hansen is honoured to continue production to this day and to distribute Poul Kjærholm’s furniture to architects and private customers around the world.
