Kaare Klint (1888-1954) of Denmark was one of the first designers to create furniture with modernist ideals in mind, and many designers based their first works on his benchmark models. In 1923 Klint helped found the Royal Academy of Fine Art, where he was a professor in the Danish Furniture department from 1924-1954. Klint taught Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl, both notable architects and furniture designers, and had a major influence on the direction of their careers.
Klint had an honest, sophisticated air to him. Though he was a gifted architect, his heart lay in furniture design. He demanded only clear, logical lines from his students, creating stunning yet impressively functional furniture pieces. His furniture is made to look handmade, with a focus on incredible craftsmanship and pure design.
The “Church Chair”
The Church Chair was the original chair purchased to fill the Great Hall at Champlain college, but through college shuffles and moving campuses most of these chairs have been lost to the test of time. It is thought that Hans Wegner’s CH36/37 Chairs were based on the precedent that Klint set with the Church Chair.
Year First Produced: 1936
The “Safari Chair” or “British Officer’s Chair”
Year First Produced: 1933