
Chaise Lounge PK24 by Poul Kjærholm
View Similar Items
Chaise Lounge PK24 by Poul Kjærholm
About
Details
- Creator:Poul Kjærholm (Maker)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 21.75 in (55.25 cm)Depth: 55 in (139.7 cm)Seat Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU986416456471
About the Design
PK24 Lounge Chair
At first glance, the sleek, minimal shape of the PK24 lounge chair might appear to have little in common with the ornate, carved wood chaise longues of the French Rococo period, but that was indeed the inspiration for Poul Kjærholm's design. As Kjærholm (1929–80) proved, reinterpreting a design that was perhaps the furthest possible thing from the principles of modernism was a monumental demonstration of his mastery of them.
Kjærholm referred to his PK24 lounge chair as the “hammock chair.” He assigned numerals to all of his furniture to indicate their place in a specific series and type of furnishing, while his preceding initials were added after his death. There were many chairs, such as the PK22, as well as tables, sofas and more, although the PK24 is arguably Kjærholm’s most recognizable chair.
After training as a carpenter and graduating from Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Kjærholm went on to devise a series of boundary-pushing furniture pieces for his friend Ejvind Kold Christensen, who produced them under the name E. Kold Christensen in Hellerup, Denmark. The partnership was somewhat of an artist’s dream, with Christensen granting his friend near total artistic freedom. It paid off: By 1960, Kjærholm had twice been awarded the Grand Prize at the Milan Triennale.
While many of Kjærholm’s contemporaries associated with Scandinavian modernism were opting for wood as their primary medium, the designer experimented with mixed materials and favored metal for his frames.
For the PK24 lounge chair, designed in 1965, Kjærholm created a sinuous seat of woven wicker that he topped with a leather bolster cushion and placed on a frame of stainless steel. By doing so, he showcased each of the chair’s parts as separate pieces, all rendered in the material that best suited them, instead of in one, compromised but unifying selection. Additionally, Kjærholm omitted any joinery or connective part between the seat and frame, which made each element literally separate. This leaves the chair’s support entirely at the whim of gravity, a choice that further underscores the precision of his design and the connection between body and chair implied by its support. The gracefully balanced seat appears to float in midair over its minimal frame.
In 1982, Fritz Hansen took over production of a number of Kjærholm’s furniture pieces, including the PK24 lounge chair. (Kjærholm worked briefly at Fritz Hansen in the 1950s before partnering with E. Kold Christensen.) The manufacturer’s version is offered in three leather options in addition to the original wicker, which is in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection.
About the Maker
Poul Kjærholm
A trained cabinetmaker, Poul Kjærholm’s use of industrial methods and materials in the 1960s brought a fresh, graceful, sleek new style to Danish modern design.
At what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Kjærholm studied under Hans Wegner and Jørn Utzon — an industrial designer and the architect of the celebrated Sydney Opera House. The latter greatly influenced Kjærholm’s furniture production techniques — although he employed natural materials such as cane and leather, to a far greater extent than his peers Kjærholm embraced the use of steel (rather than wood) framing for his chairs, daybeds and tables.
Kjærholm’s signal design was the PK22 chair of 1956, a low-slung leather lounger on a steel base. The ideas introduced in the PK22 — Kjærholm’s designs were named using a numeric system devised with his manufacturer, E. Kold Christensen — were refined throughout his career, as the offerings below show: the PK11 chair of 1957, with back and armrests formed by a semicircle of ash; the capacious, richly patinated leather seat of a vintage 1961 PK9 chair; the elegant rattan swoop of the PK 24 chaise longue (1965). The chaise longue's leather headrest, held in place by a steel counterweight, best shows Kjærholm's particular gift for combining technological advancements with a respect for traditional detailing.
While respectful of the past, Poul Kjærholm's sensibility is one of optimism and expectation. His was design for those who lived with verve and élan, and confidently anticipated the future.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Kjærholm furniture on 1stDibs.
- Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen "PK24" Wicker and Chrome Lounge ChairBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Los Angeles, CAPoul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen "PK24" Wicker and Chrome Lounge Chair. Sloped wicker lounge seat, chrome frame and base, tobacco brown leather headrest with chrome attachment. Denmar...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsChrome
- Set of PK20 Chairs by Poul KjaerholmBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of high back PK20 lounge chair and a low back PK20 lounge chair in chromed metal and sienna brown leather. Stamped for Poul Kjaerholm; Further stamped: Denma...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsChrome
$14,000 / set - PK91 Footstool by Poul KjaerholmBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Los Angeles, CAPK91 folding footstool. Chromed metal and sienna brown leather. Stamped for Poul Kjaerholm.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- PK33 Stool by Poul KjærholmBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Los Angeles, CAPK33 stool by Poul Kjærholm for E. Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1959. Matte chrome-plated steel and leather. Impressed manufacturer's mark to frame under cush...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Early Edition Flag Chair by Hans J. WegnerBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CAHans J. Wegner flag halyard easy chair with original white steel frame and black shoes, orange neck cushion. Designed by Hans J. Wegner, 1950s Early Edition, manufactured by Getama, ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Frank Gehry Easy Edges Chairs and OttomansBy Frank GehryLocated in Los Angeles, CAFrank Gehry pair of easy Edges chairs and ottomans. Easy Edges, Inc. Canada/USA, 1972. Laminated cardboard, masonite. Chair: 29¼ H × 23¼ W × 39 D in, ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMasonite, Paper
$13,000 / set
- Poul Kjaerholm PK24 Kold Christensen Chaise LonguesBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Oosterbeek, NLPoul Kjaerholm PK24 Kold Christensen from the 1970s. Black leather cushion with nice patinated wicker. Good vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsMetal
- Poul Kjaerholm PK24 Chaise Lounge by Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1970sBy Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in Vienna, ATPoul Kjaerholm PK24 chaise lounge by Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1970s.Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Poul Kjaerholm "PK24" Chaise Lounge Chair Produced by E Kold Christensen DenmarkBy Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in Stockholm, SEVery rare and great example of this midcentury iconic chaise lounge chair by Poul Kjærholm produced by E. Kold Christensen acquired from the...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsSteel
- Chaise Lounge Model PK24 Designed by Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold ChristensenBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Stockholm, SEChaise longue model PK24 designed by Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold Christensen, Denmark, 1965 Stainless steel, cane and leather. Provenance: 20th Century Marks, Westerham Acquired fro...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold Christensen PK 24 Chaise, circa 1960sBy Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in Houston, TXPoul Kjaerholm for E. Kold Christensen chaise Model PK 24 Made in Denmark, circa 1960s Handwoven cane, stainless steel, counterweight custom leather head rest.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Poul Kjærholm Model Pk24 LeatherBy Poul Kjærholm, Fritz HansenLocated in Berkeley, CAThe PK24 chaise longue chair, with its easy curves and organic shape, stands out as perhaps the most recognizable chair in Poul Kjærholm’s work. Inspiration for ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
$27,520 / item