X Table HM13 – &Tradition

Peter Hvidt (1916-1986) and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen (1907-1993) were mid-century Danish design pioneers and founders of the Copenhagen-based firm Hvidt & Mølgaard.

Renowned for the simplicity of their work, the duo established a simple, precise aesthetic by designing countless pieces of furniture over the years, many of which have become icons of the era. The success of the AX chair (made in 1950) was a defining moment for the duo. Not only did its precise, rigorous silhouette cement their position as leaders of Danish modernism, but the use of laminated wood enabled the chair to be produced on a large scale and exported internationally. This avant-garde approach to industrialised production paved the way for a new movement that relied on traditional craft techniques to make affordable and beautiful domestic furniture.

Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen had superior technical skills. Mølgaard-Nielsen studied furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Kaare Klint, while Hvidt acquired knowledge of traditional craftsmanship while studying cabinetmaking at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Today, their work can be seen at MoMA, the National Gallery in Melbourne and the Design Museum in Copenhagen.