Verner Panton

The Verner Panton Story

Verner Panton had a strong desire to provoke and innovate from an early age. The desire was cultivated by working alongside another iconic Danish designer, Arne Jacobsen, in the 1950s. However, Panton proved to be an "enfant terrible" and ventured out on his own to develop and polish his fluid, futuristic style. From the '50s through the '90s, Panton remained on the cutting edge of design. He developed the first inflatable furniture, designed the first chair cast in one piece (the S chair) and was forever experimenting with light and color.

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Some of his most successful lighting efforts included the design of the Topan Pendant (1959), the Wire Lamp (1972), the UFO Pendant (1975), and the Pan-top Collection (1980). His modern furniture and lighting designs are available through Verpan and Vitra.

Why We Love Verner Panton

Above all else, for famed Danish designer Verner Panton, color was always the most important thing. All of his furniture and lighting designs were created in celebration of color, using unique forms and materials to shake up the status quo and evoke strong feelings. "The main purpose of my work is to provoke people into using their imagination," Panton once said, and his works really encourage creativity in their fanciful shapes and hues, not to mention their edgy engineering.

Noteworthy Products from Verner Panton

Probably his most recognizable piece, the Panton Chair is an example of how a single mold can play so many roles--as a functional piece of furniture, as a statement of modern style, as a reminder to experiment and imagine the possibilities. Available in two types, the Panton Chair Classic (1959-60) features hard foam plastic finished in a glossy lacquer while the Panton Chair (1999) is made of a single piece of dyed polypropylene in a matte finish.

In His Own Words

"Most people spend their lives living in dreary, grey-beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colors. By experimenting with lighting, colors, textiles and furniture and utilizing the latest technologies, I try to show new ways to encourage people to use their imagination and make their surroundings more exciting."

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