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Price category: 15,000 - 20,000 usd / eur‎

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Eva and Nils Koppel met while she was studying at the Danish Academy, Copenhagen. Together they studied architecture and later worked in design icon Alvar Aalto’s office. Their furniture pieces are very representative of Scandinavian design - featuring organic shapes, architectural structure, and cosy upholstery.

This pair of chairs have some of the best characteristics of Danish modern design. The cosy and stylish elements of these chairs are especially distinctive of Eva and Nils Koppel’s work. These chairs feature a tiered side profile, starting from the “wings” on top, which step down into the arms and sides of the seats. The rounded edges contribute to the soft and cosy impression of the design, which is complimented by the unique legs that appear to gently clasp the bodies. The back legs are tilted slightly to support the seats. The dark stained, subtly tapered wooden legs pair beautifully with the light coloured fabric of the upholstery. The tufted buttons arranged in three lines enhance the wing-back shape of the backs, while the pairing of materials and colours give an elegant yet understated look to this model.

The Danish design idiom was centred around warm woods, quality fabrics and gentle but robust support for the spine - qualities that engender contentment and well-being, a defining characteristic of Danish culture. The Koppels’ exceptional architectural talent is evident even in these wing-back chairs, which are outstanding not only in the couple’s repertoire, but also among mid-century Danish chairs.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. The chairs have been reupholstered recently in a premium fabric. Each of our items can be reupholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

28.34 in W x 30.9 in D x 39.17 in H; Seat height 17.91 in; Arm height 23.22 in

72 cm W x 78.5 cm D x 99.5 cm H; Seat height 45.5 cm; Arm height 59 cm

About the designer:

Eva Koppel, born Eva Ditlevsen (1916-2006) and Nils Adolf Koppel (1914-2009) were a Danish functionalist architect couple who characterized the post-war era and the public building of the welfare society.

Nils and Eva Koppel met during their shared lectures at the Danish Polytechnic Teaching Institute in 1935, where Eva studied mathematics and Nils studied engineering. The same year, they applied to the Academy of the Arts' School of Architecture, where they were both admitted. The year after, in 1936, they got married.

During their studies between 1938 and 1939, they worked together in Finland at Alvar Aalto's design studio. In 1940, they had their first child and the following year they both graduated from the School of Architecture. Since Nils Koppel's father was Jewish, in 1943 they had to flee because of the Jewish persecution. They fled to Finland and resumed working at Aalto's design studio. In the years following the war, the couple designed a number of single-family homes, and set up a home of their own in 1946. Initially, they erected houses for family and friends, designed wallpaper, chairs, watches, light fixtures, and other art-industrial objects.

In 1954, their joint studio won the architectural competition for the Langelinie Pavilion, which was erected in 1958 and has been preserved. The pavilion's rigorous shape, slim profiles and its design as a 'floating' box are indebted to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's school and the international style. The couple got their first big task in 1954 via family relations: The settlement Søllerød Park. Their house design managed to preserve the scenic parkland, and is now one of the great architectural classics for this time period.

The Koppel couple has received numerous awards and honours, including: The Wood Prize 1960, the Natural Stone Prize 1966 and the Eckersberg Medal 1955. Nils Koppel was also awarded the Knud V. Engelhardt Scholarship in 1951.