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The Swoon Chair Collection: Iconic Timeless Design

swoon lounge chairThe designers of the Swoon chair collection are adamant.  The aesthetics and function of their furniture are both as important as each other.

They say a practical chair without aesthetics is boring, pointless, and without poetry. It is a fact in their lexicon that a beautiful chair that is an uncomfortable chair is an irrelevance.

Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou explain. They say: “We try to design objects that have a sculptural value. As well as fulfilling practical requirements.”

The Swoon is a lounge chair by Space Copenhagen, the company the two designers founded. It is an elegant bridge over the gap between a traditional lounge chair and a classic armchair.  Its structured design is a single-piece, injection-moulded shell. The upholstery is in either leather or fabric. A soft fabric cushion compliments the whole. Henriksen and Rützou founded Space Copenhagen in 2005.

A Wider Choice

The Swoon lounge chair forms part of a much wider collection. It not only features a matching ottoman but also the Swoon Lounge Petit. This latter piece is a smaller model with a higher and more upright backrest.

fredericia swoon lounge chairAn obvious extension of the Swoon Lounge is the Swoon Lounge Petit. This has a similar shape. The one-piece shell merges the back, seat and armrests and upholstery. It comes with a cushion for even more comfort. The legs are available in solid wood.

There is a range of fabrics and leather from which to choose. The furniture suits many places. These include hotel lobbies, suites, bar lounge areas, as well as private homes or any corporate HQ.

The aim is to fulfil the sitter’s desire to enjoy life but at a slow pace. The one-piece shell merges the back, armrests and seat into a single entity. It allows exceptional support. The fit feels natural.

The seat and back cushions are also attached as one piece for the longest period of comfort. The base is available in seven different finishes in both oak or walnut.

Swoon’s Hotel Launch

The Swoon Lounge chair launched with the 11 Howard Hotel in New York. The opening was in April 2016 and the chair was an open invitation for visitors to luxuriate in comfort.

11 Howard is a 213-room boutique hotel in New York City’s fashionable SoHo district. Design and art appear throughout the property. The aim is to conjure a feeling of “conscious hospitality”. The architect was prominent New York City-based Anda Andrei. He collaborated with Space Copenhagen on contemporary design.

Sculptures, paintings and photography from established international artists feature. These include the Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. His work is on display throughout the public spaces in the hotel.

The designers gutted a characterless structure – built back in 1961 – to create the new hotel. They then reinvented the space with a dose of Scandinavian minimalism. More than appearing Scandinavian, the hotel embraces the area’s ideals. These include lightness, honesty, durability, and utility.

Form and Function

With an emphasis on long-term function and form, 11 Howard is not trendy by intention. The goal is to endure. And the hope is that it is improving with time. “It’s not about being fashionable or trendy,” architect Andrei explains. “It’ll never feel dated.”

Oak-plank floors and soft natural bamboo area rugs complement custom furniture. There is also and lighting designed for the hotel by Henriksen and Rützou.

fredericia furnitureGuests can enjoy a drink while relaxing in the Swoon lounge chairs. There are also barstools from the luxurious Fredericia Spine collection.

“Conscious Hospitality”

The colour scheme that Space Copenhagen chose reflects the atmosphere of the interior. It has subtle natural, warm and dark hues. These create an air of comfort and coziness beyond expectations.

The idea was to combine cutting-edge Scandinavian design with hyper localism. The hotel is more than an ideal vantage point for downtown exploration. The property is an art spectacle in itself. It is also a community hub partnered with a range of local businesses and nonprofits.

11 Howard describes its raison d’etre as “conscious hospitality”. This starts with the property’s design. And then it extends to its intuitive, discreet flow of service. The service incorporates technology for self-check-in and smart room service delivery.

Swoon and Fredericia

Fredericia, a family-owned design company established in 1911 that collaborates with many iconic designers, is showcasing Space Copenhagen’s collection of curvy Swoon chairs. The collection is a mix of luxurious hybrids of lounge chairs and armchairs.

The collection is now produced by Fredericia with different finishes. This enables customisable furniture. It can furnish hotel lobbies and restaurant reception areas. Bars and lounges can benefit as well as private homes.

Fredericia explains that the collection uses Space Copenhagen’s extensive experience. This includes designing high-end hotel interiors and Michelin-star restaurants

Swoon aims to fill a gap missing in the market. It is a lounge chair hybrid and an armchair. The result offers the benefits of both.

Swoon Described 

space copenhagen chairSwoon lounge chairs all have the same curved shells. These combine the back, the seat and the armrests as one piece. Two padded cushions attach to the shell.  Different materials can upholster the seats. Either slender wooden legs or a swivel base made of metal can mount the pieces.

Of course, the perfect companion to any lounge chair is an ottoman. The Swoon Ottoman not only adds to a person’s ability to stretch out and relax. But it’s also a decorative element in its own right. As a pouf, it is ideal for punctuating any space with style.

The Swoon Lounge Petit offers the same casual take on elegance. It is a little smaller in size than the lounge chair. The chair thus invites you to unwind. This is conducive to having conversations or working on your laptop.

The Collection 

The Swoon collection has achieved the Greenguard Gold Certification. Products that have achieved this meet some of the world’s most rigorous standards. These include those for chemical emissions. This helps to reduce indoor air pollution and the risk of chemical exposure.

All certified products pass scrupulous tests. The manufacturing process is also reviewed on a regular basis. This helps ensure minimal impact on indoor environments.

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