Verner Panton

Born in 1926 in Gentofte, Denmark, Verner Panton was a designer regarded as one of the most influential of the 20th century. After training as an architectural engineer in Odense, he went on to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He then collaborated with the famous Danish designer Arne Jacobsen but left the firm as he was known for finding it difficult to work with others. He went on to set up his own studio in 1955, where he was finally able to express his creative identity full-time.

Indeed, whilst Verner Panton was a Scandinavian designer at the height of the minimalist Scandinavian design revolution, his approach to design was quite different. Instead, he ventured into creations with innovative and avant-garde features. Panton always showed a preference for seating, and made extensive use of plastic and bright colours. The warm, inviting shapes of his pieces left their mark on the 1960s.

In 1956, the Danish designer decided to enter a competition organised by a furniture manufacturer. He began to think about a chair made from a single piece, developed numerous concepts and, in 1960, designed the chair that would become his best-seller: the Panton Chair. It epitomises Verner Panton’s ideas: moulded in one piece in a pop-art style, with bright colours and almost psychedelic curves.

One can sense the passion for these curves in much of the designer’s work. His Flowerpot lamp collection for the interior design brand &tradition is one such example. It features cylinders in bold, on-trend colours that look as though they’ve stepped straight out of a Stanley Kubrick film. The aim of the design is quite explicitly to complement any room whilst adding a distinctive touch, blending vintage pop with contemporary modernity.