Poul Kjaerholm

An exquisite retrospective monograph on the foundation and legacy of a quietly revered Danish architect and industrial designer

The Danish architect and industrial designer Poul Kjærholm has always been quietly revered in modernist design circles, but in recent years his work has attained cult status among a younger generation of designers and connoisseurs. This exquisite monograph presents a comprehensive retrospective view of Kjærholm's work, and also shows the history out of which his aesthetic grew. It features seven shorter essays by the American architect and Kjærholm expert Michael Sheridan, along with several hundred photographs and descriptive copy. It is the deepest and widest-ranging study of Kjærholm's work to date.

Poul Kjærholm was born in 1929 in Denmark. He became head of Denmark's prestigious Institute for Design in 1973, and served there until his death in 1980. Over the years he designed dozens of chairs, recliners and tables that became landmarks of Danish furniture design, including the famous PK 24 reclining chair. His works are in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and many other international design museums. Kjærholm was the recipient of many important awards in industrial and graphic design, including two Grand Prix at the Milan Trienale (1957 and 1960), the ID Award and the Lunning Award.