NIELS GAMMELGAARD (Copenhagen, 1944) for Ikea.... Lot 11

NIELS GAMMELGAARD (Copenhagen, 1944) for Ikea. "Järpen Chair. Metal. One of the chairs has a label. Measurements: 66 x 63 x 60 cm (x4). Niels' first version of Ingvar Kamprad's vision was the RAPPEN folding chair. On a visit to a factory, the designer had seen how steel mesh was made. RAPPEN was almost identical to the TED folding chair, another IKEA bestseller that Niels had designed. But instead of plastic in the seat and backrest, Niels used steel mesh. RAPPEN was launched in 1982 and remained in the range for six years. It was sold alongside TED, but at a lower price, as the mesh seat cost less to manufacture than the plastic one. The success of RAPPEN made Niels Gammelgaard want to continue experimenting with steel mesh. He wanted to create the armchair without padding or fabric that Ingvar Kamprad had asked for. Thus the JÄRPEN armchair, made of pressed and welded steel mesh, was born. Niels Gammelgaard studied industrial design at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. He co-founded Box 25 Architects in 1969. He met IKEA founder Ingvar Kampad and began designing furniture for the brand in 1975. Three years later, together with Lars Mathiesen, he founded his second studio: Polikan Design. The company works with prestigious Scandinavian and European companies such as Fritz Hansen, Bent Krogh, Cappellini and Mateo Grassi. Niels Gammelgaard has won numerous awards and is one of the leading figures in industrial design thanks to his extensive experience.