Ax Chair – &Tradition

Reissued by &Tradition, the AX Chair, originally published by Fritz Hansen, marked a milestone in Danish design in the mid-twentieth century. Indeed, it was one of the very first examples of an armchair made from 3D wood veneer. 

Designed by Hvidt & Mølgaard in 1950, the AX Chair took full advantage of the possibilities offered by the post-World War II era, ushering in a vast movement to democratize design.

The Danish design duo had already made a name for themselves with the success of their 1944 Portex range, a lightweight series of stackable, flat-packed furniture in solid wood and wood veneer, specially designed for international export. 

To encourage this type of production, so badly needed by the free world, the Museum of Modern Art in New York organized the "International Low Cost Furniture Design Competition" in 1948. Hvidt & Mølgaard took part, as did Hans J. Wegner, Charles Eames, Robin Day, Marcel Breuer and Marco Zanuso, among others.

The AX chair presented by Hvidt & Mølgaard demonstrated the designers' consistent global approach to design, construction, production and packaging for international transport. The AX used the then-new technology of three-dimensional industrial plywood.

The AX Chair brought Hvidt & Mølgaard international recognition, winning the prestigious Diploma d'Honneur at the Milan Triennale in 1951. The chair was then presented at the "Design in Scandinavia" exhibition in the USA, which toured 24 cities between 1954 and 1957, helping to make the USA Fritz Hansen's most important export market. 

The AX Chair, renowned for its comfort, has become a classic and is featured in many museums around the world.

"We celebrate the work of visionaries past and present," explains Els Van Hoorebeeck, creative and brand director at &Tradition. "The AX chair is a beautifully designed and crafted model that has become the emblem of an entire movement. A timeless icon of Danish mid-century design that we are proud to reissue, in an effort to give the pioneering designs of the past a new future. A future accessible to a contemporary audience".

Visually, one of the AX's most striking features is the continuous curve of the armrests, which seem to have emerged from the structure, mirroring the curve that runs from the backrest to the front of the seat. 

The construction is deliberately simple and straightforward, consisting of two frames, each with two legs and two shells. This testifies to the duo's training in Danish cabinetmaking, their mastery of the art of furnishing and their meticulous approach to graceful, balanced construction.