Piet Hein (1905 – 1996)
Piet Hein was a multi talented individual know in Denmark not only for his design and architecture but also his poetry. Hein was a mathematician, scientist, philosopher and designer.
Hein grew up in a well educated family often visited by artists and scientists among others Karen Blixen (author of ‘Out of Africa’ and Hein’s mother’s cousin) and Niels Bohr (world famous Danish physicist). Through Bohr, Hein also met Einstein and Charles Chaplin.
As a mathematician Hein invented a number of mathematical based board games. However, his mathematical achievements went further then that. In 1959 he decided to find a new physical form. Considering most basic mathematics is thousands of years old it would be quite an achievement.
Hein decided to meld the rectangular and the circle to what would become the ‘super ellipse’. Perhaps it doesn’t sound like an achievement but keep in mind it is based on mathematical equations and not simply rounding the corners of a rectangular.
Hein’s super ellipse to shape tables, bowls and door handles. However, the super ellipse has been used in a number of architectural projects around the world (athletic stadiums such as the Olympic station in Mexico, swimming pool in Copenhagen). Hein even solved traffic problems in the city of Stockholm using new mathematical shape.
One of Piet Hein’s famous designs, is called the super ellipse table and it was put into production in 1968.
Read about other designers here.
Did you know…
As a poet, Piet Hein invented a special type of poem called ‘Grook’ (Gruk). Grooks are essentially short, wise sayings (maxims) in poetry form. They often combine pleasure and sadness. They are filled with irony and they are often very satirical in nature. During the second world war, Hein’s grooks increase in popularity as they were published daily in a Danish newspaper often with slightly coded messages advocating passive resistance to the Nazi occupiers.
“Men, said the devil, are good to their brothers: They don’t want to mend their own ways, but each other’s”
Peit Hein
“I concentrate on the concentric rings produced by my pen in the ink. The things that distinguishes between thoughts from things is the thoughts are harder to think“
Piet Hein
Featured products by Peit Hein
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