Carl Hansen & Son marks the 60th anniversary of Hans J. Wegner’s iconic shell chair with an exclusive version in rosewood and oak, which is only for sale from 2nd October to 31st December 2023.

The Shell Chair was first presented on 20 September 1963 at the Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition in Copenhagen, but it took another 35 years for the chair to achieve its current level of popularity and recognition. This only serves to underline the visionary quality of Wegner as a designer.

In 2023, Carl Hansen & Son will celebrate the Shell Chair’s 60th anniversary with an exclusive edition made of rosewood and oak. Customers can also choose to add a seat upholstered from black, matt aniline leather from organically raised Danish cattle.

Knud Erik Hansen, CEO of Carl Hansen & Son, comments on the 60th anniversary edition: “Hans J. Wegner was an eminent designer, and the Shell Chair is a testament to his visionary aesthetic which deserves to be marked with an outstanding anniversary edition. We have chosen to render the shells in rosewood. Its characteristic, dark and warm grain contrasts beautifully with the oak frame. Both types of wood have clear references to the Danish Modern movement of the 1950s and 1960s, where both the exotic and more homely woods were in vogue. Today, both rosewood and oak are sourced from FSC-certified forestry.”

Behind the CH07 Shell Chair

Hans J. Wegner had a good understanding of seating positions. This allowed him to develop a new type of shell chair without armrests that still features a reclining structure. The chair is characterised by a strong design language with high comfort. The Shell Chair’s soft lines and organic shapes also demonstrate Wegner’s knowledge of both the potential and challenges of wood. To add stability to the three-legged chair, Wegner developed a distinctive double frame that is equally beautiful from all angles.

When Wegner presented the Shell Chair in 1963, the chair’s avant-garde appearance was ahead of its time, provoking mixed reviews. In tandem with the less developed production technology of the time, the chair saw very limited production. However, when Carl Hansen & Son relaunched the Shell Chair in 1998, a new era’s understanding of the chair’s design led to immediate and deserved worldwide recognition.

To mark the anniversary edition of the CH07 Shell Chair, Carl Hansen & Son has mounted a small brass plate engraved with Hans J. Wegner’s signature and design year.

The anniversary edition will only be available for purchase from 2nd October to 31st December, 2023.