CH20 Elbow Chair

Overview

The CH20 Elbow Chair is a stackable chair that Hans J. Wegner designed in 1956. He made two prototypes and then left it in his archives; Carl Hansen & Søn first put it into production in 2005.

Construction

• Backrest: steam-bent from a single piece of solid wood
• Under the seat: a rail construction in form-pressed veneer
• Frame: FSC™ Mix-certified oak with oil, soap, white oil or painted finish
• Seat: leather, in Thor, Loke or Sif qualities

Image source: Carl Hansen & Søn — CH20 Elbow Chair · © Carl Hansen & Søn and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Specifications

• W 54 × D 47 × H 72.5 cm; the side drawing marks a 46 cm lower segment
• Page header: oak, oil, Leather Thor 306; 14 variants listed

Left in the archive

Carl Hansen & Søn says Wegner designed the stackable chair in 1956, crafted two prototypes and then set the production-intensive design aside, where it stayed for nearly half a century until 2005.

A restaurant chair at the Royal Opera House

In the company's case study of the Royal Opera House in London, the Dutch interior design company Studio Linse picked the CH20 as the one chair that recurs in all three restaurants and bars it designed there. The text mentions an oak version in the Paul Hamlyn Hall and a stained-oak version with naturally coloured leather seats in the foyer café.