CH25 Chair by Carl Hansen + Son

The CH25 lounge chair, like many of Hans J. Wegner’s other iconic designs, is clean and simple in its distinctive shape. But its introduction caused a stir due to Wegner’s choice of materials on the backrest and seat. The woven paper cord, a replacement for seagrass developed during World War II, had not been used in furniture before. However, Wegner was enthusiastic about the look of the material and its non-stretching and optimal durability, and so were generations after him. The CH25 lounge chair has remained tremendously popular and has been in continuous production since 1950: a testament to Wegner’s visionary approach. It takes a skilled craftsman 10 hours and approximately 400 meters of paper cord to complete one seat and backrest by hand, using a particular technique resembling weaving, which is visible on both sides of the backrest. The striking result of this exacting process is an exceptional chair that is fascinating from all angles.