Today, we would like to introduce the “Grand Prix Chair/Table” by Danish master of modernism Arne Jacobsen.
The Grand Prix table and chairs were manufactured in the early 1920s by Fritz Hansen, a long-established Danish furniture manufacturer founded in 1872.
Fritz Hansen is a manufacturer that produces many masterpiece furniture such as Hans J. Wegner and Piet Hein besides Jacobsen.
The Grand Prix Chair was exhibited at the 1957 art exhibition "Triennale" in Milan, and won the Grand Prix, the highest award of the exhibition, which is the origin of its name.
The Triennale was founded as a cultural institute not only in Italy but internationally. Transcending cultural and linguistic differences, including design and architecture, as well as visual art, scientific art, and performance art, we condense the charm of various talented artists into one place and innovate from their own unique thoughts.・It was held for the purpose of expanding, and the festival still exists today.
Jacobsen designed a table in parallel with the chair, but due to production problems it was only available for a short time and was never produced again.
In response to requests from many fans, Fritz Hansen has reprinted the phantom masterpiece Grand Prix table after 60 years since 2017, but this is a vintage at that time and the shape is circular, so there is probably only one in Japan. , is just a fantastic dish.
The Grand Prix chair features a unique design with the top of the backrest split in two.
The moderately flexible backrest made of plywood gently absorbs your weight when you sit down.
It is the ultimate beauty of formative art that is simple and unforgettable once you see it.
At that time, wood bonding technology was advancing, and it was becoming possible to assemble large parts by bonding them together. Jacobsen was one of the first to incorporate this latest technology, and announced this Grand Prix chair as a forward-thinking chair designed with both the seat and legs made of wood.
Wood is weaker than iron, so in order to ensure strength even though it is made of wood, Jacobsen shaved off three places on the wooden legs, which tend to be thicker, and made the cross section into a triangular shape. It removes the ugliness and finishes it with a delicate design. After much trial and error, the final leg was constructed from 31 thin layers of plywood. The two outer curves of the legs are flattened where they reach the underside of the seat to ensure that the bonding surface with the seat is as wide and strong as possible.
Compared to the Ant Chair and the Seven Chair, the Grand Prix Chair has structural issues such as the complicated manufacturing process, which makes it considerably more expensive than other chairs, and the legs that are not durable enough to be damaged. It didn't have much success at the time. Eventually, it was removed from the production line and became a phantom chair.
Therefore, although it is still manufactured by Fritz Hansen, vintage items are particularly rare among Jacobsen's masterpieces, and it is expected that their value will increase further in the future.
Please take a look at this masterpiece with your own eyes in the concierge room.
We are looking forward to your reservations and inquiries.