WIN an iconic Swan chair, in collaboration with Fritz Hansen [ad]

[ad – this post promotes a paid partnership on Instagram to giveaway the Swan chair, however I was not obliged to write this blog post as part of the collaboration]

The silhouette of the Swan chair is instantly recognisable, even if you aren’t necessarily familiar with the design’s long history. Those sweeping curves, gently exaggerated to embrace the sitter, could be sketched in one continuous line. The sculptural shape, with everything reduced down to just what is necessary, has secured its place in design’s hall of fame.

The Swan chair was designed in 1958 by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen. It is said he came up with the design from his garage at his home in Klampenborg, a suburb north of Copenhagen. The design was originally conceived for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, recently renamed the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel following a revamp by design duo Space Copenhagen last year (you can read about my stay there here).

Jacobsen designed a complete concept for the luxury 20-storey skyscraper hotel; not only six different types of seating, but tables, door handles and candleholders too, as well as cutlery and ashtrays in the restaurant, the patterns for rugs and curtains, and even the typeface for the signage. He cleverly softened the clean, modern lines of the glass tower with organic shaped furniture and nature-inspired details.

Alongside the high back Egg chair, the Swan chair took centre stage in the lobby and lounge areas of the SAS Royal Hotel. In the vast, open-plan space, the curves helped give clusters of furniture a sense of privacy to the sitters. They were originally finished in a duck egg blue and some of the first chairs can still be seen in the hotel’s famously preserved Room 606.

Put into production by Fritz Hansen, the curvaceous Swan chair is made of a moulded synthetic shell – a huge technical innovation in the Sixties – topped with a layer of foam and upholstery in fabric or leather. This sits on an aluminium base with a smart satin-polished steel pedestal.

The Swan chair has endured because it’s managed that tricky transition from a hospitality setting to the home. It’s become an icon of Scandinavian design and that’s largely down to the pure simplicity of the shape. It really is beautiful to look at from every angle.

So how would you like to have an iconic piece of design in your own home? I’m delighted to be collaborating with Fritz Hansen to giveaway a Swan™ chair to one very lucky reader!

To enter the giveaway head to Instagram, make sure you’re following myself and @FritzHansen and comment on THIS post.

The lucky winner will get to pick their favourite colour from Fritz Hansen’s Christianhavn textile range. Choose from over 25 beautiful hues, from dark green and indigo blue to classic beige and light grey. You can probably guess the tone I’ve got my eye on!

This is a global competition and is no way associated with Instagram. The competition closes on the 24th October and a winner will be announced shortly afterwards. GOOD LUCK!