Verner Panton introduced the word “groovy” — or at least its Danish equivalent — into the Scandinavian modern design lexicon. He developed fantastical, futuristic forms and embraced bright colors and new materials such as plastic, fabric-covered polyurethane foam and steel-wire framing for the creation of his chairs, sofas, floor lamps and other furnishings. And Panton’s ebullient Pop art sensibility made him an international design star of the 1960s and ’70s. This radical departure from classic Danish modernism, however, actually stemmed from his training under the greats of that design style.
Born on the largely rural Danish island of Funen, Panton studied architecture and engineering at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where the lighting designer Poul Henningsen was one of his teachers. After graduating, in 1951, Panton worked in the architectural office of Arne Jacobsen, and he became a close friend of Hans Wegner's.
Henningsen taught a scientific approach to design; Jacobsen was forever researching new materials; and Wegner, the leader in modern furniture design using traditional woodworking and joinery, encouraged experimental form.
Panton opened his own design office in 1955, issuing tubular steel chairs with woven seating. His iconoclastic aesthetic was announced with his 1958 Cone chair, modified a year later as the Heart Cone chair. Made of upholstered sheet metal and with a conical base in place of legs, the design shocked visitors to a furniture trade show in Copenhagen.
Panton went on to successive bravura technical feats. His curving, stackable Panton chair, his most popular design, was the first chair to be made from a single piece of molded plastic.
Panton had been experimenting with ideas for chairs made of a single material since the late 1950s. He debuted his plastic seat for the public in the design magazine Mobilia in 1967 and then at the 1968 Cologne Furniture Fair. The designer’s S-Chair models 275 and 276, manufactured during the mid-1960s by August Sommer and distributed by the bentwood specialists at Gebrüder Thonet, were the first legless chairs crafted from a single piece of plywood.
Panton would spend the latter half of the 1960s and early ’70s developing all-encompassing room environments composed of sinuous and fluid-formed modular seating made of foam and metal wire. He also created a series of remarkable lighting designs, most notably his Fun chandeliers — introduced in 1964 and composed of scores of shimmering capiz-shell disks — and the Space Age VP Globe pendant light of 1969.
Panton’s designs are made to stand out and put an eye-catching exclamation point on even the most modern decor.
Find vintage Verner Panton chairs, magazine racks, rugs, table lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.
H 33.27 in W 16.34 in D 21.66 in
Verner Panton Vilbert Chair, 1993
By IKEA, Verner Panton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful colorful postmodern accent chair "Vilbert" by Verner Panton for Ikea 1993, in blue, purple, green, red and black formica with black edges. The structure follows geometric a...
Formica
H 35 in W 20 in D 23 in
Verner Panton for Vitra Glow Panton Chair, Luminescent, White, Blue, Limited Ed
By Verner Panton, Vitra
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Verner Panton for Vitra Glow Panton chair, Luminescent, white, limited edition, on occasion of 50th anniversary. 1000 luminescent produced. After several years of joint development by Verner Panton and Vitra, the Panton chair was finally ready for production in 1967 – as the first all-plastic cantilever chair to be manufactured in one piece. Created with a revolutionary production technique, the chair’s unique sculptural design was presented to the public for the first time at the imm Furniture Fair in Cologne in 1968. It rapidly came to symbolise an entire era. In 2018, 50 years after its launch, Vitra is issuing two limited editions of this iconic classic: Panton Chrome and Panton Glow. Vitra limited production of the “Glow” to 333 chairs which were sold in June 2018, the 50th anniversary of the first presentation of the chair to the public. Verner Panton showed an ardent interest in innovative technologies, techniques and materials over the course of his lifetime. He worked with lighting, colour and luminous elements in many of his futuristic interiors. For his legendary 1970 installation ‘Visiona 2...
Plastic
H 27 in W 23 in D 36 in
Antique Easy Chair by Verner Panton
By Hans J. Wegner, Verner Panton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very elegant VERNER PANTON chair, with original fabric, fritz hansen , designed 1973, one of ten models ( A thru L ), design for the system 1-2-3, ALL SALES ARE FINAL, STORE C...
Metal
H 31.89 in W 19.3 in D 22.05 in
1965, Verner Panton, Two Stacking Chair 1st Herman Miller Edition, in Blue
By Verner Panton, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach,check last five pictures, find more details on his family name plus eu, is for sale soon too. :-) From the early 1950s, Panton had dreamt of making a stackable, cantilevered plastic chair all in one piece. In 1956, he designed the S chair which can be considered a forerunner of the Panton chair. He saw it as an item of furniture in which the back, seat and legs were made of the same material and in one continuous piece. It was first produced in 1965. Panton made a series of sketches and design drawings for the Panton chair in the 1950s. In 1960, he created his first model, a plaster-cast, in collaboration with Dansk Akrylteknik. In the mid-1960s, he met Willi Fehlbaum, who, unlike many other producers, was fascinated with the drawings of his legless chair...
Polyester
H 33.86 in W 19.69 in D 22.05 in
1973 Verner Panton, 1-2-3 Series Dining Chair in Brown Fabric
By Verner Panton, Rosenthal
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach,...
Steel
H 33.47 in W 23.63 in D 25.21 in
Blue Scandinavian Modern Cone Chair Side Chair by Verner Panton Denmark 1958
By Verner Panton
Located in Vienna, AT
Scandinavian Modern cone chair or side chair in pastel blue color by Verner Panton 1958 and executed by Gebr. Nehl, Germany. A great and iconic chair cone shaped in soft pastel blu...
Steel
H 31.89 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Set of 2 Mid-Century Panton Side Chairs by Verner Panton, 1980s
By Verner Panton
Located in Hamburg, DE
Early Panton Chairs by Herman Miller or Vitra from the 80s. These two models are a former version of glossy painted Baydur. Of the form and materiality in no way to compare with tod...
Zitan
H 33.5 in W 19.5 in D 24 in
White Panton Chair by Verner Panton for Vitra with Side Stool
By Vitra, Verner Panton
Located in Pasadena, TX
White Panton chair by Verner Panton for Vitra with Side Stool Captivated by the potential of plastic, Danish designer Verner Panton created the fir...
Plastic
H 31.89 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Set of Mid-Century Early Panton Side Chairs by Verner Panton, 1960s
By Verner Panton
Located in Hamburg, DE
Early Panton Chairs by Herman Miller from the late 60s. These two models are an early version in glossy lacquered Baydur. From form and materiality in no way to be compared with tod...
Zitan
H 32.68 in W 19.3 in D 22.84 in
1965, Verner Panton, Stacking Chair, Herman Miller, Second Edition in White
By Verner Panton, Herman Miller
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible...
Plastic
Unusual Verner Panton Cone Table in Rosewood
By Verner Panton
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Very few of these unusual cocktail tables were ever created. Even fewer in Rosewood. This table was made by the firm Plus Ligne in 1959. ...
Rosewood
Pierre Jeanneret Low Armless Lounge Chairs 'Kangaroo'
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A really terrific pair of rare low lounge chairs in teak and Indian Sissoo wood. A true matched pair as indicated by the numbered designation on the rear of the seat-backs. In b...
Teak
Rare Bovirke armchair in fibreglass
By Steen Ejler Rasmussen, Kai Lyngfeldt Larsen
Located in Toronto, Ontario
An unusual early fibreglass chair by Kaj Lyngfeldt Larsen & Steen Ejler Rasmussen for Bovirke Denmark.
Metal
Pierre Jeanneret "Box" Desk Chair in Teak
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A teak armchair made for the Punjab University in Chandigarh, India, circa 1960. Model number PJ-SI-53-A This rare chair is in original as found condition. Only wax and oil have be...
Teak
Mini Boga Lounge Chair for Taaru in Teak
By Mini Boga
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A truly special chair. Designed by Mini Boga for Taaru in Delhi , India ca. 1970. This example with the rare high back in solid teak and with the original rope weaved seating. ...
Teak
Pair of Early Madsen (Arctander) Clam Shell Chairs in Sheepskin
By Arnold Madsen
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A fantastic pair of early edition Clam Chairs, designed in 1944 in Copenhagen by Arnold Madsen for the collaborative work with cabinet maker Henry Schubell, who together formed one o...
Sheepskin
In an innovative display, the Designmuseum Danmark is permanently exhibiting the 20th century's most iconic seats.
From high-fashion runways to a brand-new book, the groovy, futurist work of this groundbreaking Danish creative is receiving newfound — and much deserved — attention.
