Tense Forms, Masterful Composition

Poul Kjærholm stands as a singular figure in the history of Scandinavian furniture design. His masterful compositions, which fuse the tense, sculptural forms created with steel and stainless steel with natural materials like leather, rattan, and stone, serve as a significant guiding principle for BUILDING's own furniture design.

For this event, “PERFECTION｜The Furniture of POUL KJÆRHOLM,” BUILDING will offer pieces such as the “PK20,” whose gently curved legs act as springs to provide luxurious seating comfort, and the “PK61” coffee table, a striking piece composed of a base made from four parts topped with a marble surface. The selection includes rare vintage items from E. Kold Christensen, the company that manufactured his works until 1981, as well as more accessible used pieces from Fritz Hansen, which has continued production and sales since 1982.

Also available will be the “PK0,” a piece that remained a phantom work after its prototype was completed in 1952, with only 600 limited-edition units produced by Fritz Hansen in 1997, over 40 years later.

Poul Kjærholm｜Poul Kjærholm (1929–1980)
Born in Østerbro, Denmark, in 1929. After apprenticing as a cabinetmaker, he studied furniture design at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, and from 1950 to 1952, he worked in Hans J. Wegner's office. In 1952, he spent a year at Fritz Hansen, where he designed numerous prototypes.
He had a strong interest in architectural materials, and considered steel, which was not yet common as a furniture material at the time, to be a natural material with the same artistic delicacy as wood or leather, and actively incorporated it into his designs. From 1955, he designed furniture for E. Kold Christensen, creating many works that have since become classics.
He passed away from lung cancer at the age of 51, but Fritz Hansen continues to manufacture and sell many of his works.