mogensen 100 years

1
Mogensen
100 years
2
Børge Mogensen 1914–1972
Børge Mogensen was born in Aalborg, Denmark
in 1914 and embarked upon his career in the
world of design as a cabinetmaker in 1934, before
entering the Copenhagen School of Arts and
Crafts in 1936. It was there that he studied
under his mentor, Kaare Klint, who he would
work extensively with in his early years, before
progressing to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts,
from which he graduated in 1942. It was evident
from early on that Mogensen was an extremely
productive and ambitious person, as he became
head of design at FDB soon after graduation, as
well as simultaneously spending several years as
Kaare Klint’s teaching assistant at his alma mater,
the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, before establishing his own design studio in 1950.
‘Functional’ is the word which best describes
Børge Mogensen’s design. The majority of his furniture was designed with industrial production in
mind and is characterized by strong and simple
lines. His method of scientifically studying measurements for everyday objects such as clothing and
household utensils in order to establish protocols
for furniture always resulted in genius in the finished product. Scholars of Danish Modern often
refer to Mogensen’s methods in their studies and
written works.
Over the course of his life, Mogensen created
hundreds of designs, many of which came to him
at all hours of the day and night, which prompted
him to grab a pen and sketch on the backs of
envelopes, cigarette packets, napkins, etc. Other
than receiving the Eckersbergs Medaille 1950,
Mogensen was really only recognised for awards
later in life, winning the Furniture Prize in 1971
together with Andreas Graversen, and the C.F.
Hansens Medaille and the distinction of Honorary
Royal Designer for Industry in London 1972. He
died in the same year, only 58 years old, although
his spirit continues to be celebrated not just in the
year of his 100th anniversary, but will be for many
more generations to come.
1
Mogensen
100 years
2
Børge Mogensen
was often
criticised for
stubbornly
insisting on
tradition instead
of exploring new
materials, methods
and trends
3
Thankfully
Børge never
gave a damn
The Spanish Chair
6
Børge Mogensen’s home
7
8
Børge Mogensen’s summer residence
It’s interesting that a designer of Børge Mogensen’s
talent should be such a well kept secret. As a design
student I knew about Jacobsen, Wegner, Kjærholm,
Panton and some others, but not Mogensen.
It was not until relatively recently that I found
out that he designed so many of the classic Danish furniture pieces that I admired. Many of his
designs had infiltrated my reservoir of references
without my being aware of their author. If I ask
myself how this could have happened the only
answer I can find is that Mogensen designs are
intentionally discrete, he didn’t set out to design
anything eye catching or iconic, although some
of his designs are quite radical. I believe that’s
the clue to understanding and appreciating the
quality of his design. It’s not so much about
the chair or the table as objects, though they
are certainly beautiful, but about the effect
they will have on their environment. You need
only look at photos of Mogensen’s own home
to appreciate how skillful he was at tuning the
architecture and interior design to amplify the
effect of his designs. Discrete objects are more successful in building good atmosphere than eye catching ones. It
took me a long time and a lot of effort to understand that, and part of the understanding
involved the making an exhibition called Super
Normal, which I curated with Naoto Fukasawa in
2006. Looking at his work now I think Mogensen
was instinctively Super Normal, he understood
the beauty of very normal things and appreciated
how they benefitted everyday life. He took a lot
of care in refining and simplifying the lines of his
designs to the point where the spirit of the object
becomes more evident than the form. I believe
that’s what design is all about and also why his
designs are so enduring.
7
Jasper
Morrison on
Børge
Mogensen
4
5
10
The
Børge
Feeling
What sets Børge apart from others was his
uniquely strong feeling for materials. Take
The Spanish Chair…the thick vegetable
tanned butt leather, the hand stitching,
and the feeling of the expertly treated solid beautiful oak when you sit down…and
one can’t help but fall in love every time.
It’s this special ‘feeling’ that is evidently
clear in all of his designs. In fact, you could even
say that it’s this indisputable quality in the choice
of materials that carries his name and image
more than the form itself.
When you acquire a Spanish Chair, it is like
buying a pair of Lloyd’s shoes for their beauty and
love more and more each day as the stiff leather
gives way to the form of your foot and becomes a
fantastic natural extension of your feet. The more
you sit in a Spanish chair, the more it patinates
and molds to your own body’s curves and eventually the story of you and your chair becomes an
inseparably treasured relationship.
It is this relationship, the one created between human and object, that is uniquely ‘The
Børge Feeling’.
Thomas Graversen, owner
13
14
type of chair and is very common in areas influenced by ancient Islamic culture – from Spain to
northern India. Børge Mogensen modernised the
design by removing the elaborate carvings, and
thus he created his own version with his customary geometrical precision. Yet he retained the
most important feature: the broad armrests that
give the chair its distinctive character. The broad
armrests also serve as a practical place to place a
cup or a glass.
By designing The Spanish Chair Mogensen
proved that he did not need to use steel or plastic
to be innovative. Like The Hunting Chair, it is
made of oak and butt leather. This gives it a
strong, masculine character, and ensures that the
chair ages beautifully. The straps allow that the
back can be tightened as the leather expands,
which means that you can sit securely and comfortably in this chair from day one – and for the
rest of your life.
13
In 1958, Børge Mogensen and his family
travelled to Spain. For the hardworking
designer, the trip became more than just
a holiday. In Andalucia he fell in love with
an old chair with a wide seat and broad
armrests. Once back in Denmark, he created
The Spanish Chair.
The chair he fell in love with is a traditional
14
The people’s chair
It is believed that it was a surplus of wooden pins
and dowels in the factory stores that led Børge
Mogensen to design J39 in 1947. Perhaps that
was a fortunate coincidence, as today it is one
of Denmark’s most sold wooden chairs, and has
been in uninterrupted production ever since it
was launched.
J39 is the obvious choice for everything
from canteens to conference halls, churches to
private homes, and is popularly known as the
People’s Chair. This simple, yet unique chair was
inspired by Mogensen’s mentor, Kaare Klint, as
well as American Shaker furniture. The curved
backrest and hand-woven seat make the J39 a
comfortable dining chair in an aesthetically pleasing quality.
The subtle design language means that it
can be added to an existing interior, or serve as
a room’s visual hub. J39 has a solid beech or oak
frame; in untreated, soaped, lacquered, or black
or white painted finishes, and seat corded with
black or natural paper yarn.
15
‘The People’s Chair’ is truly deserving of its
name – it is one of the most sold wooden
chairs in Denmark.
18
To this day, the J39 seat is corded
by hand. One chair requires 144
metres of paper cord.
17
Since the J39 was introduced, the seat
height has been raised 2 centimetres, as
people today are taller on average than
they were in 1947.
18
THE LUXURY
OF MODESTY
Christian Holmsted Olsen, head of collections and exhibtions at Design Museum
Denmark speaks of Børge Mogensen as
a ‘bone dry’ designer, a stubborn disciple
of Kaare Klint’s design ideals, especially in
the treatment of wood so that the owner
of the furniture could appreciate not just
the design, but also the tree from which it
came from.
“In keeping with this tradition,
FREDERICIA has become one of the crown
jewels of Danish design”, says Olesen.
“From the 1950s, when FREDERICIA started
working with Børge Mogensen, Danish
furniture design has become what us
Danes are best known for internationally
in the twentieth century. There is no published work on design that doesn’t feature
Denmark, along with Børge Mogensen
and FREDERICIA’s contribution to the establishment of modern Danish design“.
says that a designer ‘stands on the shoulders of
others’ in creating new designs, which is evident
in Børge’s J39 chair in which he found inspiration
in Klint’s own church chairs. Klint himself was influenced by the old church chairs from the Middle
Ages. So when Jasper Morrison modeled the Trattoria chair after the J39, with a plastic seat and
back that could be removed for shipping ease, he
was also standing on the shoulders of his predecessors, both as an attempt at improvement and
a tribute to Mogensen at the same time, as well
as proving a love for a chair that is actually already
more than 100 years old”.
“Børge Mogensen did not have the recognition that he deserved in the heyday of Danish
design, but he will get his renaissance. FREDERICIA
has a finger on the pulse of global trends, and
the world’s demand for quality materials, modest
luxury, and attention to detail all but guarantees
that Mogensen’s time is fast approaching”.
19
“In contrast to FREDERICIA’s design principles,
where they choose new designs based on gut
feeling, Mogensen would never speak about the
subjective human mentality, he referred exclusively to the objective physical proportions of a
person when he worked on a design. It was this
process that made Mogensen known as a very dry
designer. He stood for the outspokenly frank, the
even keeled, feet planted firmly on the ground,
which is the same philosophies and traditions that
the Shakers stood for in their furniture design,
which Mogensen took inspiration from“.
“It was this matter-of-fact outlook that
made Børge Mogensen’s furniture border on the
anonymous, which is precisely what made it also
very noble. Mogensen’s work came wholly from
studying the type of object he was creating – how
could he refine an older object of the same type
into a better version. It was this focus that created
his unique relationship with furniture design”.
“A quote from Mogensen’s mentor, Kaare
22
Danish
secretaries
of state
have furnished
their offices
with 2200s since
the sixties, so
today they have
an image of power
23
The politicians
that is
The 2200 series
Børge Mogensen graduated from the School of
Architecture with a clear mission. He wanted to
create quality furniture that everyone could afford. Yet 20 years later, he designed the sofas and
chairs that now furnish cabinet ministers offices
and Danish embassies around the world.
The first of the iconic sofas were released
in 1962, followed by many different variations,
evolving them into Danish institutions. 2204 is a
high-backed wing chair with the 2202 as matching footstool. The set was designed in 1963 and is
regarded among the most comfortable furniture
Mogensen created.
The chair envelops the body, the wings shut
out the world, giving one the peace to read or
relax. The chair and footstool are part of the 2200
series that also includes an easy chair and two
and three-seat sofas.
23
Quality takes time – a 2204 chair
takes 4 hours to upholster.
“A little herring, a little warm and cold
smørrebrød, a little schnapps, a little beer,
a little coffee, and a good nap on the
Mogensen sofa”.
24
2213 became an institution in Danish homes in the
sixties, and was immortalised in the above quote by
Leif Panduro, describing a typical Danish New Year’s
celebration.
.
2213
25
Another signature Mogensen material is the use of hides from bulls rather than cows.
Cowhides are the general skins of choice for furniture production, but the form of a
Mogensen sofa requires a more structured skin, which is only found in the more expensive bullhides. While this might be seen as an unnecessary expense, it is the less elastic
bullhide that provides the sturdy structure to keep a Mogensen sofa true to it’s form
for all the generations that will enjoy it. Just one of the many details that make a Børge
Mogensen sofa a precious investment that appreciates in value over the years.
26
Thomas Graversen
27
2213 is exactly 222cm in width,
long enough to stretch out fully between
the two end cushions. This generous size
was important to Børge, who used the
sofa in his daily life.
30
Børge Mogensen’s
winter garden
In the 1940s, the trend was to craft furniture from expensive imported Cuban mahogany, Burma teak, and Brazilian rosewood. Børge felt that this was ostentatious and
unnecessary, and felt that the Danish designers should be using Nordic woods instead.
Beech, which was in generous local supply was one of his favourites, as well as oak,
which turned out to be instinctively genius, as no other woods patinates as beautifully
as oak.
31
Thomas Graversen
By rejecting
everything
that is old,
one foregoes
the help
there is in
being able to
build on the
experience
that has been
acquired for
centuries
34
35
Model 201 was designed in 1955 by Børge Mogensen as the first sofa for Fredericia Furniture, and
remained in production for 10 years. Mogensen
used loose cushions, which would be precedent
for his later leather sofas. The three separate
cushions give the sofa a unique character, as well
as a practicality for cleaning. In 2014, FREDERICIA
has re-released the sofa as ‘No.1’ to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Børge Mogensen.
34
35
The Søborg Chair
38
The Søborg Chair
39
38
The
Gatekeepers
of Mogensen’s
Legacy
Rasmus Graversen, 25, and Elizaveta Friedman, 41, have come from, literally, very
separate worlds. Rasmus is Danish and the
grandson of Andreas Graversen, and Liza
is FREDERICIA’s Russian-American export
director. Although these two have come
from different worlds, they share a common
love for Børge Mogensen that they both
strive to keep alive for future generations
across the globe.
Rasmus grew up surrounded by Mogensen
furniture, both in his grandfather’s home and
his own family’s as well. His favourite piece is a
Hunting chair, which he acquired at a young age
and has been a constant in his life ever since,
following him to university in Berlin and now has
a featured spot in his 38sqm apartment in Copenhagen that he shares with his girlfriend.
Liza’s father was a collector of antiques,
especially American Shaker furniture, and as a
child, it was that furniture she lived in because it
was sturdy and kid-proof, and the more expensive and elaborate European pieces were off limits.
It was when she began designing restaurants
and other venues in Moscow in the 1990s that
she started to use Mogensen in her designs, as
it spoke to her of a more modest luxury, which
set her designs apart in a city that had a trend
for overstuffed, gold gilded, and flashy furniture
sought after by the ‘New Russian’ money.
41
42
Early in his career, Børge Mogensen designed
an extensive range of wooden chairs.
The aim was “to create good, high-quality
functional furniture that was modest in
appearance”. The use of single dowels in the
construction of the J49 back would later be
seen in the celebrated Spokeback Sofa.
Both of them admire Mogensen for many
reasons.
Rasmus says, “What I admire so much
about him is that he had such a logical approach
to designing, looking at the scientific approach of
the human body and fitting designs for ease of
production. Even more so, that the starting point
for his designs were for his own home, and not
for public space”.
To which Liza quickly adds, “which is exactly why I always feel that Mogensen is perfect
for public space use, because it makes the space
much more personal. In modern times where
people are becoming more anonymous, we can
all use a bit more of a personal touch in our public
lives”.
For both Rasmus and Liza, it’s a wood and
leather lounge chair that is dear to their
hearts.
Rasmus’ Hunting Chair is his favourite piece,
which he took from the family’s living room as a
child and put into his own bedroom. At the time,
he didn’t have any real knowledge or opinion of
design, but it was a chair that spoke to him and
became his. Over the years, it has become a permanent fixture in his life.
Rasmus says, “It’s impossible to describe
how it feels to sit in The Hunting Chair, but the
best way I could explain it is that because of it’s
odd shape, it forces you to just sit and relax, since
eating or drinking in it is rather awkward. When
you sit in it, you instantly feel it’s a ‘good time
chair’, and it creates a space for itself and the person using it. At the same time, it is very functional,
as you can move it to different areas of a home in
a way that you couldn’t do with a sofa or heavy
lounge chair”.
For Liza, her favourite is The Spanish Chair.
While writing a paper in high school, a book was
lying open on the table next to her with a photo
of Børge sitting in The Spanish Chair. She was instantly smitten with the chair, and embarked on a
search for one. It took over a year to find a shop
that had one, but when she sat in it, she knew
that she’d have a lifelong relationship with the
chair, and it became her signature piece in the
venues she’d later design in Moscow.
As Liza explains, “I agree with Rasmus, in
that it’s impossible to describe the feeling of sitting in a Mogensen chair. For me, when I saw the
photo of The Spanish Chair, I could tell straight
away that the massive oak and thick leather was
something special, but it was when I finally sat
in one that I truly felt an emotional connection
with a piece of furniture and the thought process behind it, and I’m sure that I’m not alone
in that kind of feeling. As I studied more about
Mogensen as a designer and his methods, I found
it to be almost amusing how this very methodical,
logical, and no nonsense designer produced furniture that people feel very emotional towards. In
my daily work at FREDERICIA, I receive many letters and photos from people who have a special
bond with their Mogensen furniture, and it kind
of makes the world a bit more intimate for me,
because I know exactly how they feel“.
When asked ‘If you could have any piece at
all for your own homes, space and money no
object, what would it be?’.
Both laugh and answer simultaneously
‘2192!’.
With gatekeepers like Rasmus and Liza, clearly
the Mogensen legacy shall be carried on in many
more generations and worlds to come.
41
Although the global trends for Danish design
come and go, both believe that Mogensen is a
constant. In Liza’s opinion, “this is because when
you acquire a piece of Mogensen furniture, it is
because you are investing in not just a lifestyle,
but your life as well. When you buy a sofa, you’re
buying it with the thought that this will be part
of your home and will be something passed on
to your children. It becomes a part of your own
family’s DNA“.
44
43
The
Spokeback
Sofa looks
like The
Spokeback
Sofa
44
The
Spokeback
sofa
The Mogensen family spent the summer
of 1945 in a summer cottage with the
Wegner family. This first summer after
the Occupation years was wet and damp
– fortunately, for Børge Mogensen spent
the time designing his first classic item of
furniture.
With its unpretetious design, The Spokeback
Sofa is completely bared from every angle - even
the cushions are attached with visible straps.
Typical for Mogensen, the joints are extremely
fine, needing closer inspection to see how the
different parts are fused together. The sophistication is in the detail.
With its reclining side, and the characteristic
leather straps, the sofa in time became one
of Mogensen’s most popular models. The inventive
combination of a classic two-seater sofa with the
English daybed and the French chaise longue was
too sophisticated for post-war tastes, however,
and the sofa was not put into production until
1963. Since then, it has been copied endlessly.
The cushions are easy to replace when worn,
or fashions change. Once you have a Spokeback
Sofa, you own a sofa for life. It is available in oak
or beech, and with white or black-pigmented
lacquer.
45
When The Spokeback Sofa was released in 1945,
it was considered too avant-garde for the times and
only 50 of them were sold. When it was re-released 20
years later, it was hailed as a triumph and is considered
a beautiful statement piece for any Danish home.
46
Designed
in 1950.
Built in
2014.
47
50
Perfected
in 2034.
The Hunting Chair
The Hunting Chair’s rounded
armrests, seat, and back that
adjust to the body’s weight make it
a very comfortable chair. Despite the
front seat edge height of just 30 cm
above the floor, the armrests make the
chair easy to get up from.
The frame is made of oak, while the
seat and back are of butt leather, with
adjustable straps. This rustic and
masculine combination of materials,
which give a very special patina, was
further developed by Mogensen in
other pieces such as The Spanish Chair.
The Hunting Chair is a sculpture that
only becomes even more stunning
with time.
51
Fiskebaren by Space
50
52
The theme of the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’
Guild’s autumn exhibition in 1950 was ”The
Hunting Lodge”. Børge Mogensen used this
as an opportunity to create one of his more extraordinary pieces of furniture. Like several of his
classics, the idea was conceived late at night in
the company of good friends – and in this case
on a matchbox.
53
Børge Mogensen was a very productive man
during his short life, with hundreds of designs to
his credit. Below are models which are today produced by FREDERICIA.
J49
1944
J39 52
1947
C18 table 1789 The Spokeback Sofa 1945
2229 The Hunting Chair 1950
No.1 Sofa
53
1955
The Søborg Chair
1952
3171 Bench
3236 Chair
1956
2226 The Spanish Chair
54
1958
2213
1962
2002, 2204
2192 Coupé sofa
1971
2207, 2209 55
1963
The Shaker Table 1964
Who’s your Danish favorite designer?
“Let’s skip fashion and talk about furniture
instead. I am absolutely mad about
Børge Mogensen, who confirms my picture
of sexy Denmark. It’s the most beautiful
furniture in wood and leather in a chunky
look which I love”.
58
Jonny Johansson,
Co-Founder and Creative Director
of Swedish fashion brand Acne
References / quotes
Page 24: Hedebo Olsen, Lars. Børge Mogensen. Denmark: Aschehoug, 2006
Page 31: Kaare Klint
Page 56: Cover Magazine 2012
© Fredericia Furniture 2014
Interviews by Anders Krag
Text by Elizaveta Friedman
Design by Rethink Copenhagen
60
FLAGSHIP Store: Frederiksborggade 22, DK-1360 Copenhagen K, Tel +45 3312 4644
Fredericia Furniture A/S, Treldevej 183, DK-7000 Fredericia, TeL +45 7592 3344
www.fredericia.com