Design is largely influenced by three factors: its creator’s environment; it’s audience – users and clients – and technologies and craftsmanship. These are the very things that offer a design its distinctive identity.
Han J. Wegner, the son of a shoemaker, is widely considered to be one of the leading figures in 20th century furniture design. He is the designer of the well-recognised Shell Chair, also known as the Smiling Chair.
The three-legged construction, which was pioneered in 1963, offers great stability. The chair itself depicts a floating lightness due to its wing-like lines, its tapered legs and the arching curves of its laminated legs. This very particular form is made achievable by the highest quality, form-pressed hardwood laminate technologies.
That being said, the initial launch was not particularly overwhelming. Some critics loved the avant-garde design, but the general public was reluctant to accept the chair’s bold and different look. The initial sales were not great, and it was only produced in limited quantities during the 1960s.
However in the early 1990s, the ‘Three- legged Shell Chair’ began to attract fantastic prices at international auctions. In 1998, Carl Hansen & Son re-introduced the chair, and it immediately won several design awards.
I believe the main concept behind a timeless design should consider the importance of forward thinking, and have the courage to create the unexpected, the unusual, and not to be afraid of being different in its era. A truly timeless design will overcome early hurdles, and the very constraints it had in the beginning, will ultimately add to its unique identity. One thing that should always live on with any great design is the craftsmanship and the dedicated passion of its designer.