Hans Wegner

Hans Jørgensen Wegner (April 2, 1914 – January 26, 2007) was a Danish furniture designer.

His work, along with a concerted effort from several of his manufacturers, contributed to the international popularity of mid-century Danish design.

His style is often described as Organic Functionality, a modernist school with emphasis on functionality.

This school of thought arose primarily in Scandinavian countries with contributions by Poul Henningsen, Alvar Aalto, and Arne Jacobsen.

Wegner has been referred to as the "King of Chairs" for his proliferated work designing seating.

In his lifetime he designed over 500 different chairs, over 100 of which were put into mass production and many of which have become recognizable design icons.

During the army, he first saw the exhibition of the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild in 1935.

The exhibits were a laboratory for experimentation between Master Cabinetmakers (such as Johannes Hansen, L. Pontoppidan, Niels Vodder, Jacob Kjær, and A. J. Iversen) and the best architects of the time (such as Kaare Klint, Vilhelm Lauritzen, and Ole Wanscher).

These exhibits gave Wegner a first-hand experience of what the combination of workmanship and design could produce.

Wegner decided to become a designer with the aim of producing and selling his furniture.

Wegner realized his skills needed improvement if he wished to fulfill his dream of opening his own workshop.

After the military, Wegner took a 2.5 month cabinetmaking course at the Danish Technological Institute.

Subsequently, he attended the School of Arts and Crafts' carpentry program located within the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen.

Wegner was led by the instruction of Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, a student from Klint's school, and he was strongly influenced by functionalism.

Wegner garnered attention at school from his teachers for his developed drawing skills.

His painting teacher tried to convince him to pursue a career as a portrait painter.

He participated at his first Cabinetmakers' Guild exhibition in 1938, where he presented the Stangerup Chair - named after the person who purchased it.

In 1938, Wegner took a one-year leave from his studies to work on the Aarhus City Hall project on the recommendation of his teacher.

Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller had won a bid to design the Aarhus City Hall and employed Wegner to create the furniture.

However, World War II caused delays in the City Hall project and he was first assigned to work on the under Møller and Flemming Lassen.

Today, the library displays early photos of Wegner's contributions to the library as well as a website dedicated to the historic design.

While the library was well-received and Møller and Lassen were awarded the Eckersberg Medal, Wegner's contributions weren't as widely publicized at the time.

From 1939-1942, Wegner worked on the Aarhus City Hall project and was responsible for all the furnishings.

Wegner began working on three lines of modular office furniture for Planmøbler while working on the City Hall.

Some of the Planmøbler furniture was used in the office wings of the City Hall.

In 1940, Wegner made what could be called the two most pivotal relationships in his life.

The first one was a personal relationship.

He met Inga Helbo, a secretary in Jacobsen's office, and they were married on November 9, 1940.

The second relationship was professional.

Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen played another vital role in Wegner's life by connecting him with master cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen.

After finishing the Aarhus City Hall project, Wegner was unable to return to Copenhagen due to travel restrictions during Nazi occupation.

Wegner received several major design prizes in his lifetime, from the Lunning Prize in 1951 and the Grand Prix of the Milan Triennale in the same year, to the Prince Eugen Medal in Sweden and the Danish Eckersberg Medal.

In 1969, he was made honorary Royal designer for industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London.

Wegner was born to cobbler Peter Mathiesen Wegner and Nicoline Lausen on Smedegade 12 in Tønder.

At an early age, Wegner shown interest in craft and could draw and create paper cuttings before he learned to walk.

At home, Wegner was drawn to woodcarving and created wood sculptures based on Royal Copenhagen figurines he saw at the Tønder Museum.

At the age of 14, he worked as a child apprentice to master cabinetmaker H. F. Stahlberg.

He soon discovered he had a feeling for wood and developed an affinity towards the material.

At the age of 15, he made his first chair.

Finishing his apprenticeship at 17, he crafted a lady's desk as part of his journeyman's test and remained employed in the workshop before joining the army.