Furniture, Architecture, and the Pursuit of Pure Form
This book introduces the work of Poul Kjærholm, positioning his creations as some of the most serene and refined expressions of the Danish furniture design movement that reached its peak in the 1950s and 60s. Kjærholm relentlessly pursued his goal of making form a part of function, a process that involved stripping away all superfluous elements until only a pure, essential, and timeless type remained.
His work is especially characterized by its innovative use of materials. Although trained as a cabinetmaker, Kjærholm became profoundly fascinated by the structural and aesthetic possibilities of steel. He regarded steel as having the same artistic potential as wood or leather. His early experiments quickly drew him into the world of metal, and materials such as matte chromium-plated steel and stainless steel became defining features of his work. Notably, he developed a method of using screws rather than welding to join steel components—an approach that emphasized the autonomy of each element and its function within the structure. The way light reflects off steel surfaces also played a crucial role in his artistic expression.
Beyond steel, he masterfully combined leather, cane, glass, halyard, stone, canvas, and wood. He favored materials that develop greater beauty over time—particularly undyed leather, often in black—and avoided dyes and varnishes. Leather frequently appears in his chairs and sofas, and the PK33 stool is especially notable for its leather cushion.
Kjærholm saw himself not as a designer but as an architect, and his furniture was conceived not as isolated objects but as elements fundamentally connected to the spaces they inhabit. His pieces support, activate, and enrich their surroundings. His work embodies two evolving principles: the sculptural and the architectural. Nothing in his furniture is accidental; every detail serves to clarify the structural concept.
The book includes extensive drawings and photographs of his early graduation piece—a spring-steel and halyard chair—as well as notable works such as PK9, PK13, PK33, the PK54 table, the PK61 sofa table, the PK24 chaise longue, the PK20 lounge chair, the PK12 chair, the PK40 table, and the PK101 candelabrum. It also documents his exhibition designs, including installations for the 1960 Milan Triennale, the Ole Palsby showroom (1965), and Mobilier International in Paris (1965). Examples of his furniture in architectural spaces—such as buildings by Jørn Utzon, Erik Christian Sørensen, and Kjærholm’s own home—illustrate how his pieces interact harmoniously with their environments.
Written by leading furniture historians and architects, the book reveals multiple facets of Kjærholm’s life and work. It also acknowledges significant collaborators such as Eivind Kold Christensen and photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen, whose images of Kjærholm’s work from 1955 to 1980 form an essential visual foundation. As a whole, the book explores Kjærholm’s deep engagement with materials, his disciplined structural clarity, and the timeless elegance that makes his work a cornerstone of Danish design.
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Table of Contents
7 — Foreword by Jørn Utzon
8 — Architect and Furniture Designer by Erik Krogh
38 — Exhibitions and Special Spaces by Nils Fagerholt
72 — Setting a Standard by Ole Palsby
80 — Poul Kjærholm, 1955–1980: Photographs by Keld Helmer-Petersen
138 — An Architect – Not a Designer by Ulf Hård af Segerstad
144 — Lightness and Weight by Christoffer Harlang
158 — A Conversation with Poul Kjærholm by ATAK
166 — Biographical résumé
168 — List of Works, 1948–1980
184 — Index
Furniture (Selected Works)
PK0 (1952) — Laminated wooden chair composed of two black lacquered shells
PK9 —
• 1953 steel-wire prototype (three-legged “tripod” chair)
• 1961 version in matte chromium-plated spring steel with leather
PK25 (1951) — Early chair documented with drawings
PK13 (1974) — Armchair in matte chromium-plated spring steel with leather
PK54 (1963) — Round table with maple leaves; Italian marble or Porsgrund marble top
PK61 (1955) — Sofa table in matte chromium-plated steel with glass, slate, or marble
PKII (1957) — Bucket chair combining steel, ash backrest, and parchment or leather seat
Nest tables — Related to PK61 and PKII
PK71 — Three nesting tables with acrylic tops and steel frames
Folding stool — General type; PK33 is a stool, PK41 is a folding chair
PK41 (1961) — Folding chair in steel with canvas or leather
PK22 (1955) — Lounge chair in steel with canvas, leather, or cane
PK24 (1965) — Chaise longue in steel with cane or leather
PK20 (1967) — Lounge chair in steel with leather or canvas
PK12 (1962) — Steel-tube chair with leather or parchment
Outdoor furniture — Concrete bench for the town of Hjørring (1954)
PK33 (1958) — Stool with steel base and leather cushion
PK1 (1956) — Steel-tube chair with woven cane
PK2 (1956) — Steel-tube chair with leather drive belt
PK3 (1956) — Steel-tube chair with halyard
PK55 — Worktable with wooden top supported by steel
PK80 — Daybed with steel frame and leather mattress
PK40 (1980) — Table combining steel and leather-covered blockboard
Review
This book offers a profound exploration of the ideas and material mastery that define Poul Kjærholm’s place in Danish furniture history. His work pursues pure form born directly from function—an uncompromising goal that eliminated all unnecessary elements and revealed furniture as distilled, essential types. The result is a body of work that exudes a lyrical elegance unique within Danish design.
The chapters—written by leading architects, designers, and historians—approach his work from diverse perspectives. Jørn Utzon’s foreword situates Kjærholm within a broader architectural ethos, while other chapters address his exhibition design, his rigorous standards of quality, and his spatial sensibilities. A major highlight is the extensive photographic documentation by Keld Helmer-Petersen, capturing the refined beauty and architectural presence of Kjærholm’s furniture across 25 years.
The book also provides rare insight into Kjærholm’s belief that he was “an architect, not a designer,” a conviction that guided his sculptural clarity and structural discipline. His dialogue with materials—particularly steel and leather—reveals a sensitivity that allowed each element to express its inherent qualities while contributing to the whole.
With detailed works lists, biographical notes, and discussions of his inspirations and collaborators, the volume contextualizes Kjærholm’s achievements within the broader narrative of Danish modernism. It demonstrates why his restrained elegance, material precision, and architectural rigor continue to resonate internationally.