Real Estate Innovation

Verner Panton

The influence a designer has on their era and future generations is a good measure of their ability. Verner Panton was nothing if not influential. Panton was known for many revolutionary designs, both in form and material. The hallmarks of Panton’s work are sculptural elegance, striking form and above all, color. Panton’s work stood out from that of his contemporaries in the best possible way.

Panton, the son of an innkeeper, began his life on the island of Fynen. An avid interest in design led him to study at the prestigious Academy of Art in Copenhagen. He followed this with a two-year stint at Arne Jacobsen’s architectural office.He was allegedly not the best of employees, preferring to spend his time on developing original ideas.

Panton has a nunber of classics to his name. The most famous of them is the instantly recognizable Panton stacking chair. This monocoque form is in production now by Vitra and uses more advanced plastics, such as injection-molded polypropylene, than the ones Panton first saw it produced in. There are many cheap, Chinese copies of his design out there, which, though damaging to the designer’s reputation due to poor quality, are a definite sign of a nice design. There is not really much of a point in buying a copy, since you’d get a chair which cannot be sold for profit, and you would generally only save about 30 percent on the cost of the genuine article. Vitra has a limited edition, orange Panton chair this year, so there are no excuses!

One more of Panton’s excellent designs was the Cone chair. These were amazing when they were released, the single pivoting point being a big departure from three or four legs that people expected from chairs at that time. I recall my first encounter with this chair very clearly, as I simply couldn’t get over the optical illusion that it gives. It just seems to stand, perfectly balanced, top-heavy, with no regard at all for the laws of physics.

The two pieces of Panton’s classic along with the various interior designs (inredning) will make a huge influence on the coming decade. Panton’s another classic design was System 1-2-3 chair made in 1973 for Fritz Hansen. System 1-2-3 is a masterpiece of Panton as this chair is made with flexibility. ease of production and comfort in mind though the name may sound something contrary.

Although all three of those items are classic designs, the most familiar of Panton’s many home furnishings is actually a lamp rather than any sort of seating. His so-called flowerpot lamps, which come in hanging and freestanding versions, are found in outlets everywhere. This is due to their low prices, their compact form, their assortment of hues, and their designer’s popularity. They are easily recognized as soon as you set eyes on them.

Panton was such a prolific designer that it would be possible to write for days about his work. In its time it pushed boundaries and confounded expectations. Indeed much of Panton’s work has survived the psychedelic stigma of the sixties and takes its place among the timeless modern classics of furniture and interior design (inredning).

Verner Panton was a very influential designer from Denmark. His danish furniture (danska möbler) is known for its striking forms, sculptural elegance and color. His most famous piece is a stacking chair. This is now being produced by Vitra in plastic. Another of his classics is the Cone chair. It is a great departure from the three or four legged chairs we are familiar with. In the 1970’s he came up with the System 1-2-3 chair. It had flexibility, comfort and ease of production in mind. His most common work is the table and pendant Flowerpot lamp. His interior design (inredning) is timeless and classic.

- John Melaugh