Design Furniture Carl Hansen & Søn
Elbow Chair (CH20)
Hans J. Wegner's stackable chair of 1956 with a steam-bent back that doubles as an armrest, first put into production by Carl Hansen & Søn in 2005.
- Designed by
- Hans J. Wegner
- Made by
- Carl Hansen & Søn
- First made
- 2005
Pictures © Carl Hansen & Søn, from carlhansen.com.
Why it is renowned
The Elbow Chair won the ICFF Editors' Award in New York in 2005, the year Carl Hansen & Søn first made it, nearly fifty years after Wegner drew it.1 It is used in public rooms as well as homes, among them the Royal Opera House and Sticks'n'Sushi, both in London.1
The story
Hans J. Wegner designed the stackable chair in 1956, built two prototypes and put it away in his archive because it was too demanding to produce.1 Carl Hansen & Søn brought it into production in 2005.1 Its backrest is steam-bent from one piece of solid wood and supports both the elbows and the lower back; a rail of form-pressed veneer under the seat keeps it stable.1
Sources
- CH20 Elbow Chair, Carl Hansen & Søn. carlhansen.com, read 30 September 2026.
Last checked 30 September 2026, against the maker's own pages.