40 / 56
How do you think the “Scandia” chair has retained its
relevance and popularity over such a long period of time?
Hans Brattrud:
The “Scandia” chairs are of a timeless
and carefully thought-out design that doesn’t attract too
much attention. They fit most interiors–both traditional and
modern-and their construction is robust enough to
last for a hundred years.
Pål Lunder:
If you show the Scandia chairs to somebody
for the first time most people see it as a new design.
They find it amazing that this design is actually 60-years-old. So I believe the relevance of the
chair is due to its beautiful Scandinavian design and its timeless expression.
The chair was technologically exceptionally innovative for its time. How did you strike
on the idea of using a high frequency lamination?
Hans Brattrud:
I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with new materials and techniques. The chairs
are made with 1 mm thick laminates, and the glued joints need to be hardened to ensure long
life. When I first thought of the design in1955-56, the fastest-hardening glue had a setting time
of about three hours. This would not have allowed production on an industrial scale but, at a trade
fair in Germany in1958, I saw that hardening could be done using high-frequency electricity.
I immediately realised that this technique would be useful in the production of my Scandia chairs.
In your understanding, what makes a design icon?
Pål Lunder:
In my opinion a true design icon needs to be something outstanding in terms of
the use of material and shape. Most new designs try to combine material and form in a new way,
but to become an icon it has to stay relevant over a long period of time–or sometimes even
mark the start of a new direction in furniture design. The Scandia chair is unique both in expres-
sion and material use in addition to being
a strong representative of the golden era
of Scandinavian Design.
What marked the beginning of
the relationship between
Fjordfiesta and Hans Brattrud?
Pål Lunder:
The design of the “Scandia”
chair caught my eye immediately the
first time I saw it looking through an old
annual report of Norwegian furniture
at the SHKS library (the National Collage
of Art & Design).