Carl Hansen & son CH25 Lounge chair
By Hans J. Wegner
The CH25 lounge chair, like many of Hans J. Wegner’s other iconic designs, is clean and simple in its distinctive shape. But its introduction caused a stir due to Wegner’s choice of materials on the backrest and seat. The woven paper cord, a replacement for seagrass developed during World War II, had not been used in furniture before. However, Wegner was enthusiastic about the look of the material and its non-stretching and optimal durability, and so were generations after him. The CH25 lounge chair has remained tremendously popular and has been in continuous production since 1950: a testament to Wegner’s visionary approach. It takes a skilled craftsman 10 hours and approximately 400 meters of paper cord to complete one seat and backrest by hand, using a particular technique resembling weaving, which is visible on both sides of the backrest. The striking result of this exacting process is an exceptional chair that is fascinating from all angles.