At this year's 3DaysofDesign, renowned Danish design house Fritz Hansen zeroed in on its past, present and future, introducing a handful of new launches that blend heritage with contemporary vision – such as the 'After' series, created in collaboration with acclaimed London-based designer Michael Anastassiades
Ahead of its buzzy 3DaysofDesign exhibition, Shaping Lasting Design, which took over its Copenhagen flagship store, renowned Danish design house Fritz Hansen treated a group of journalists to a crash course in its illustrious past, dynamic present and visionary future.
Highlights included visits to Arne Jacobsen-designed landmarks such as the modernist Radisson Collection Royal Hotel – the world’s first design hotel – and the striking Bellevue Theatre, perched on the beach just north of the Danish capital. The immersive tour continued at the Fritz Hansen HQ, where a timeline of the company’s storied journey was brought to life with archival pieces, followed by a peek into the sleek home of Poul Kjærholm – another iconic Fritz Hansen collaborator – nestled along the Øresund strait.
The 'Solae' lamp designed my Cecilie Mantz, introduced during 3DaysofDesign. Photo: Courtesy of Solae
The 'PK3' chair was a piece Poul Kjærholm originally designed in 1954, though it was archived before completion. Now Fritz Hansen is realising it for the very first time. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
Amid all the absorbing activities, one phrase kept surfacing: ‘design is an evolution, not a revolution,’ which perfectly encapsulates Fritz Hansen’s ethos and its 3DaysofDesign showcase. “It’s a Kaare Klint kind of saying,” says Els Van Hoorebeeck, creative director of Fritz Hansen, referring to the famed Danish designer often credited as one of the founding fathers of Danish modernism. “And I think that for the brand, it’s not that we want to do something radically different – we just want to bring innovation to the tradition we’ve had from the start.”
Case in point? The new launches Fritz Hansen unveiled during 3DaysofDesign, intertwining the brand’s legacy with contemporary thinking. The pieces include the ‘After’ series, created in collaboration with acclaimed London-based designer Michael Anastassiades; the ‘PK3’, an archival Poul Kjærholm chair realised for the first time, the ‘Series 7 Tailored’; a leather-clad iteration of Arne Jacobsen’s celebrated 1955 sculptural plywood chair; and the architectural ‘Solae’ portable lamp by Cecilie Manz.
The 'Series 7 Tailored' chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
Along with the PK3, Fritz Hansen also unveiled an upholstered version of another Poul Kjærholm classic, the PK23 lounge chair. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
“With Michael’s designs, for instance, there’s a certain familiarity to it. I’m glad we’re introducing it now because it’s showing how to use the past the right way,” Van Hoorebeeck says. “Looking at the past and thinking: this idea, how does that translate today?”
At the Shaping Lasting Design exhibition, a selection of heritage Fritz Hansen pieces – like the ‘FH1’ chair (1878), the ‘PK13’ chair (1964) and the ‘FM’ chair (1984) – spotlight the references Anastassiades has drawn from for the ‘After’ series, which boasts a streamlined chair and a dining table crafted from solid ash wood.
Els Van Hoorebeeck and Michael Anastassiades. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
For the 'After' series, Anastassiades drew references from several archival Fritz Hansen pieces. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
“My approach is based around the idea of collective contribution, building on the Danish design heritage and bringing my own layer of simplification and thinking,” Anastassiades explains. “There’s a lot of clarity in shapes and forms and why they need to be there, they are very considered and geometric, primal in a way.” With its curved backrest, slightly scooped seat and chunky legs, all executed with meticulous precision, the chair is not just visually refined but also incredibly comfortable (as tested by this writer).
A long-time admirer of Danish design and Fritz Hansen, Anastassiades describes the collaboration as a “natural partnership”. “t feels like design in Denmark is not a selfish process – it’s a process that actually sources itself from history,” he says. “I think this process was very much part of a long study and appreciation for historical examples that have been in the back of my mind when I came up with this design, hence the name, ‘After’.”
Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
The 'After' series arrives in two colour options, 'Ash' or 'Burgundy lazur' and boasts matching, removable leather sea cushions for extra comfort. Photo: Courtesy of Fritz Hansen
Van Hoorebeeck agrees, noting that “it’s a really great result because it emphasises where we come from, how we work with our heritage, and at the same time shows a preview of what is ahead.”
Speaking of what’s ahead, the ‘After’ series – alongside the other launches introduced at 3daysofdesign – marks a new chapter for Fritz Hansen. Yet ‘new’ doesn’t mean letting go of its past, but approaching it with a fresh perspective.
“I think this year is about change. It’s about reseeing the collection – looking at pieces you might have seen many times before with new eyes,” Van Hoorebeeck reflects. “It’s about telling the stories from the past, but not in a way that leaves you stuck there... Bringing in innovation, reconnecting with the brand, and understanding the depth of it.”
Fritz Hansen's Shaping Lasting Design exhibition runs until June 21 at its flagship store at Valkendorfsgade 4, 1151 Copenhagen, Denmark