The panton chair by Verner Panton

Oh hello! Long time no see. And after a month-long break, I want to introduce you to the famous design of the panton chair. The beautiful, unique and sleek design was created by Verner Panton, who changed the Scandinavian design forever.

Verner Panton

During his career, Danish designer Verner Panton created innovative and futuristic designs in a variety of materials, especially plastics, and in vibrant and exotic colours. His style was very “1960s” but regained popularity at the end of the 20th century. As of 2004, Panton’s best-known furniture models are still in production (at Vitra, among others).

Verner Panton is, inarguably, as well known for his use of colour as for his furniture, lighting, textile, product and interior designs. Arguably Verner Panton is best known, most popularly known, and universally known, for his use of colour; or put another way, such as Verner Panton’s association with colour even black and white photos of his work shine with a multi-coloured glory.

Panton chair

The world’s first molded plastic chair is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Danish design. The Vitra Panton Chair Classic is the result of many experiments undertaken by Verner Panton in the late 1950s together with Vitra in the search for a cantilever chair made entirely of plastic. 

The Danish design magazine Mobilia presented the Panton Chair to the public for the first time in 1967. Back then, everybody was used to 4-logged chairs as a norm and seeing something so unique truly made history! Besides that, plastic was advancing as the new wonder material.

Verner Panton was deeply inspired by the creative, artistic, possibilities offered, so much so that in the S form of the Panton Chair George Nelson, at the time Design Director at Herman Miller, considered it more a sculpture than a piece of furniture – and was originally against its inclusion in the Vitra collection. Despite early problems with developing the prototype, the Panton Chair entered mass production in 1969 and quickly became one of the most popular designs of its age. In 1999 Vitra introduced Panton Junior – a children’s version of this popular design classic.

Another big change in the design happened in 2021, when Vitra, the manufacturer introduced a new seat height of 44 cm (new total height: 86 cm) in addition to new colours.

Weight is 5,6 kg (SH 41 cm) and 6,6 kg (SH 44 cm).

You can purchase this chair in Vitra.

If you are interested in more famous designs and designers, have a look at this post – The lamp Blom by Andreas Engesvik.

Photos by Vitra.