Pavilion AV13 Velvet 09 Midnight

Located on the castle grounds of Copenhagen’s Kastellet overlooking the waterfront promenade that is home to the Little Mermaid, The Langelinie Pavilion stands with a resilient spirit. The first Pavilion was built in 1885. The second was built in 1902 for the Royal Danish Yacht Club but was sadly destroyed during World War II. The current Pavilion was built 1958 by architect couple Eva and Niels Koppel in homage to modernism. Echoing its own ability to endure is the Pavilion chair by Andersen & Voll.

Here the challenge was to design a stackable chair used for mass seating in this iconic, multi-purpose venue, the Langelinie Pavilion. Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll wanted to link early modernism with new modernism. “Often tube chairs are constructed at fixed angles,” notes Anderssen. “We wanted a freer form of expression and explored the idea of bent tubing teamed with bent plywood.” “The Pavilion chair has an airy feeling, with slim arms and legs that give it a light appearance,” explains Voll. “A softer aesthetic in a curvaceous silhouette that’s barely there.”

The effect is lyrical, graceful and poetic. Almost like a tied rope that has come undone.