Peter J. Lassen

Background

Peter Joakim Lassen (1930–2019) was a Danish furniture designer, businessman and art collector, and the founder of Montana Furniture. He grew up outside Hillerød in a home filled with art — his maternal grandfather was the artist Joakim Skovgaard. After five years as a naval officer he joined his father-in-law's company, Fritz Hansen, in 1954 and went on to become its CEO, working with Arne Jacobsen, Jørn Utzon, Piet Hein and Verner Panton.

Signature Style

Lassen began with "an abstract square box" and removed every unnecessary part until it had rounded edges, missing corners and retracted fronts. His aim was to give users options rather than solutions — freedom, flexibility and creativity — so that function and aesthetics are inextricably linked in spaces people design themselves.

Notable Works

• System 60/60 shelving concept, developed at Fritz Hansen
• Montana System (1982): 36 modules in four depths
• GRID System, used to furnish and build rooms in galleries and exhibition halls (per Danish Wikipedia)

Legacy

Lassen founded Montana in Haarby on Funen in 1982 and kept production in Denmark. He supported Danish art and culture, sat on the boards of Trapholt and Krabbesholm, was made a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 2010, and helped develop 30 new Montana colours with Margrethe Odgaard shortly before his death in 2019. His son Joakim Lassen has led Montana since 2015.