The Round Chair

The Round Chair (Danish: Den Runde Stol, also known as The Chair in America, The Classic Chair in Britain, and by the model numbers PP501, PP503, JH501, and JH503) is an armchair designed by Hans Wegner in 1949. The chair was a collaboration of Wegner and the now-defunct furniture maker Johannes Hansen. It is still in production today by the Danish furniture manufacturer PP Møbler.

The chair features back and armrests made from one continuous semicircle. The finger joints orient the wood grain as the back rail wraps around the body to maximize material strength. The chair is offered with a solid upholstered seat (PP503) or a seat of woven caning (PP501).

"Many foreigners have asked me, how we created the 'Danish Modern' style. And I have to say that it was nothing like that – creating ... I suppose it was more an advanced process of purifying and for me simplification, cutting the elements down to the bare essentials: Four legs, a seat and a combined back and arm rest – The Chair."

— Hans J. Wegner on creating the chair