PIA Chair by Poul Cadovius, Walnut

About the Item

PIA chair Solid oak frame, paper cordel seat Dimensions: H 75 x 49 x 48 cm (seat height 45cm) Wood: – Oak – Smoked oak – Black lacquered oak – Walnut Paper cordel: – Natural – Black (Contact us) -- The Pia chair signed by DK3 was imagined and designed by the famous designer Poul Codavius in 1959. Its minimalist and timeless design, as well as its pure, almost organic lines characterize the Pia chair. Inspired by the Scandinavian design of the 1950s, the Pia chair is lighter and smaller. “Less is more” perfectly represents the design of the Pia chair by DK3: the goal is here to use as less materials as possible. The thin, conical-shaped solid wooden legs give a light visual expression, which is further emphasized by two fine details; the hand-sanded rounding at the top of the back legs, and the finger joined front legs. The seat is made of hand-woven paper cordel, and the backrest is moulded, which gives an optimal seating comfort. It takes two hours just to hand-weave the seat, so the making of the chair is a time-consuming process which requires patience and high accuracy.

Creator:
DK3 (Designer),Poul Cadovius (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 19.3 in (49 cm)Depth: 18.9 in (48 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Walnut
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
21st Century
Date of Manufacture:
2024
Production Type:
New & Custom(Current Production)
Estimated Production Time:
1-2 weeks
Condition:
Seller Location:
Paris, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3123328234142

Shop All Poul Cadovius

Poul Cadovius

While Poul Cadovius is most famous for his modular floating shelving system, his career in design didn’t actually start with wall units.

Born just outside of Copenhagen in 1911, Cadovius began manufacturing window treatments in the 1940s with his partner, Hother Brønner. He soon turned his focus from Venetian blinds to furniture, finding success designing svelte pieces in teak, a richly colored hardwood favored by the Danish mid-century modernists.

In 1945, Cadovius founded the furniture manufacturer Royal System with his designs, including the 1948 Royal System shelving unit, a space-saving solution that underscored Cadovius’s penchant for problem-solving in a multifunctional way. Rather than balance shelves on wooden or metal legs, it held them to the wall with brackets.

Cadovius followed the Royal System shelving unit with the System Ultra in 1957, the System Cado in 1960 and the System Abstracta, which was installed throughout the exhibition halls of the 1962 Cologne Furniture Fair. All expanded on his idea of wall-mounted shelving that saved space while offering functionality, allowing for limitless combinations of storage, shelves, work surfaces and other units. The Royal System proved to be especially popular and is still produced by Danish furniture brand dk3 today, with early models continuing to be in demand.

Along with the shelving systems, Cadovius designed everything from lounge chairs to mushroom-shaped bus shelters, and he held over 400 patents. In addition to being a designer, he was also an entrepreneur with an eye for opportunity, such as purchasing Danish manufacturer France & Søn in the mid-1960s and folded it into Cado, a company he founded years earlier. He used this as an occasion to experiment with his designs, conceiving such unusual pieces as an aluminum-based dining table topped with rosewood and hand-painted by artist Susan Fjedldoe Mygge.

Cadovius’s innovations in shelving continued throughout his career, with examples like the sculptural Butterfly shelf and vertical pieces mixing shelving and storage. In 2018, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Royal System, dk3 reissued the celebrated shelving system as well as a more compact version reimagined for 21st-century homes.

Find a collection of vintage Poul Cadovius storage cabinets, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.