Simplicity and functionality are equals in the Danish furniture designer Hans Sandgren Jakobsen’s new collection Twist & Turn, which consist of two dining chairs, one with armrests and one without, and a dining table in ash or american walnut. The visual expression is classic with references to the Scandinavian design traditions of the 50’s as well as Gio Ponti’s iconic Superleggera from 1957. Ponti’s simple and super light chair was itself inspired by a series of traditional chairs manufactured in the small Ligurian fishing village Chiavari in the 1900’s – furniture that was in turn stylistically inspired by the Shakers’ tradition of functional furniture made of wood. The Shakers’ demand for simplicity, longevity and high quality of craftsmanship has always fascinated Hans Sandgren Jakobsen, who have travelled and worked in both the US and Japan, and thus the circle is closed with the Twist chairs and Turn table.
The stringent and soft lines which characterize the two Twist chairs gives them a strong visual identity – it is a modern reinterpretation of a classic archetype together with Hans Sandgren Jakobsen’s fascination of the organic properties of wood and beautiful craftsmanship. The supple expression is optimized by the frame’s varying thicknesses, but thanks to the oval shape, which twists about itself – a design feature which gives a soft dynamic and materiality, which Hans Sandgren Jakobsen has experimented with before, in for example the coat hanger Ovo, which was designed a few years ago.
Hans Sandgren Jakobsen, who enjoys being challenged by wood and again and again returns to the organic material, has with Twist & Turn once again demonstrated that with good craftsmanship and a good sense for proportions, you can join aesthetics and function. For example in the sleek seat of the Twist chair there is a pressed indentation that allows for extra padding, a detail that optimizes comfort without compromising the elegant and light expression of the chair. The intention has been to create a piece of furniture that both visually and functionally is welcoming. The soft curves and organic lines compliments the shape of the body and mirrors Hans Sandgren Jakobsen human approach to design, where materiality and texture are always in play.
The collection’s table, Turn, expresses the same welcoming signs: Round, receding shapes are joined with lightness. The tabletop is veneered in a special way, which allows the underside’s oval shape to be covered and create an edge – a detail that makes the tabletop to appear light and floating on the frame. The frame of the table is simple with twisted oval legs that match the rear legs and armrests of the chairs.