In 1944, Vilhelm Lauritzen was working on a building project that never came to fruition. As part of that project, he produced the VLA61 Monarch Chair, which was built in extremely limited numbers. The handful of chairs became a collector’s item, sold at auctions around the world. In collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, Carl Hansen & Son have released this sensational chair to a wider audience for the first time.
Named for the beautiful and striking Monarch butterfly, the chair stands as a tribute to Lauritzen’s mastery of form and function. From the double-curved limbs and armrests to the brass feet and sumptuous leather upholstery, the chair makes an exceptionally luxurious addition to any living space.
Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894–1984) was one of the most significant architects in the history of Denmark; he was the trail-blazing figurehead of Danish functionalism. A number of his buildings – Nørrebro Theatre, Daells Varehus department store, Radiohuset and the first airport built in Kastrup – represented the concentrated essence of contemporary life. Other significant buildings to stem from Lauritzen’s drawing board include Folkets Hus better known today as the Vega concert venue, the Shellhuset building and the Danish embassy in Washington.
Throughout his life, Vilhelm Lauritzen adhered to the principle that architecture is applied art – with equal emphasis on both ‘art’ and ‘applied’. “No life without aesthetics” was another one of Vilhelm Lauritzen’s firmly held beliefs.
