50s Poul Kjaerholm ‘PK61’ coffeetable for EKC

Poul Kjaerholm was one of the leading figures in the history of 20th-century Danish design. Architect, designer and craftsman, the objects he created remain to this day classics of minimalist design. Along with Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen, Verner Panton and Hans J Wegner, Poul Kjaerholm is considered to be one of the main proponents of Danish design. His work can be found in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in New York, as well as at London’s V&A Museum and other museums in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Kjaerholm was born on 9 January 1929 in Ostervra, Denmark, completing his training as a cabinetmaker in 1949. From the mid-1950s onwards, Kjaerholm worked for Ejvind Kold Christensen, who produced a series of his furniture. 1952 saw the start of the PK series, from which emerged, among other designs, the PK0 and PK25 Chairs and the PK61 Coffee Table.

The PK61 Coffee Table, designed in 1956 for Ejvind Kold Christensen, is one of Poul Kjaerholm’s best-known pieces. It was authored to complement the PK22 Armchair. The PK61 Coffee Table is an elegant, highly functional glass table with a robust steel frame, and epitomises Kjaerholm’s fascination with a range of materials. Its rational form and clean lines make it an exemplary piece of modern design.