Design story
Hans J. Wegner lounge chair GE290A, often referred to as the “Plank Chair”, designed in 1953. The chair has a frame made of solid oak. The loose spring cushions are upholstered in beautiful brown leather. Manufactured by Getama.
Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to both form and function, this GE290 chair has earned its place as an iconic piece in the world of modern furniture.
Introduced in 1953, the Hans J. Wegner lounge chair GE290 emerged during a period marked by a resurgence of interest in handcrafted, organic designs. Hans Wegner, often hailed as the “Master of the Chair,” was known for his ability to merge traditional craftsmanship with innovative design concepts, and the GE290 is a quintessential manifestation of this philosophy
Hans Wegner is without a doubt one of the great masters of Danish design. Particularly known for his chairs that, according to Wegner, are not just pieces of furniture but art made to support the human form.
Almost all of Wegner’s creations are made of wood. Having worked with wood from an early age and being trained as a cabinetmaker, the designer was very attached to this material. In addition to wood, Wegner also used other traditional construction materials like upholstery, caning, and paper cord.
His style is known for taking traditional elements and pushing them to extreme tolerances. Unlike his contemporaries, Wegner did not focus on materials like fiberglass and plastics like Verner Panton for example.
Wegner designed over 500 chairs out of which 100 was put into production. Many of these chairs have become design icons and some even on permanent display at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Paola Antonelli who is the curator of architecture and design at MoMA, described Wegner’s furniture like this: “First and foremost, it’s comfortable, and saying that it’s comfortable before saying it’s beautiful is really high praise, because the truth is that it’s incredibly elegant.”
