Hans Wegner: PP 501

PP 501 by PP Møbler or “The Round One” as Wegner referred to it, is one of the most famous Danish pieces of furniture and certainly the most significant and distinct Danish.

In it’s own modest and simple way The Round Chair sums up the very essence of traditional Danish wood working and design philosophy. And it is absolutely the most important work of Hans J. Wegner.

With this chair Wegner was finally freed from the inspiration from other cultures and designers that influenced his earlier works.

This chair became the cornerstone of a wide range of designs that for more than a decade was the core business of 6 Danish furniture manufactures thus constituting the main force in the great international breakthrough of Danish Modern.

The Round Chair shows the very essence of Modern Danish Design and its commitment to centuries of experience in wood working. As explained by Wegner: “I have often been asked how we created the Danish Modern style. And I have to say that it was nothing like that – creating… I suppose that it was more an advanced process of purifying, and for me a simplification, cutting the elements down to the bare essentials: four legs, a seat and a combined top rail and arm rest – The Chair.”

PP Møbler’s contribution to The Round Chair has been to improve it in several respects, securing optimal quality and an even longer life of The Chair. The wedged tenon “finger” joints in the back is more accurate and well done than ever before, and where as earlier versions of The Round Chair had a dowelled seat frame, today every joint is made with prober tenons to ensure optimal strength and durability. And finally the very characteristic organic shape of the big pieces of genuine solid wood is today consistent with the original idea of Wegner, which has not always been the case, as the level of difficulty in this chair is extraordinary high.

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Hans Wegner, PP 501, PP Møbler