Preben Fabricius
Encyclopedia
Preben Juul Fabricius was a Danish furniture designer who worked together with Jørgen Kastholm
. During the 1960s, the pair designed a wide range of pieces for the German Alfred Kill who had a furniture factory in Fellbach
near Stuttgart
.
. It was there that he met the blacksmith Jørgen Kastholm. They had a common approach to furniture design, never wanting to compromise on aesthetics. In 1962, the pair set up a design studio in a Gentofte
cellar without any firm arrangements with manufacturers. In 1965, they exhibited at the furniture fair in Fredericia
where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work. Kill had a reputation for high quality but initially Favricius and Kastholm were not keen to design furniture for factory production. Only when Kill offered them DM 2,500 a month each, with no preconditions, did they agree to work for him. They travelled to Stuttgart
with their first designs for production in Kill's factory in nearby Fellbach. Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Fair in 1966 when they exhibited a whole series of office and home furniture leading to orders from ten large furniture concerns. Their minimalistic designs, both attractive and comfortable, were usually in steel and leather. The Tulip Chair, the Grasshopper Chair and the Scimitar Chair are among their most successful works.
The pieces of furniture they produced during their ten-year period of cooperation from 1961 to 1970 were so distinctive that many are still produced today as classics. As a result of disagreements, the pair decided to terminate their cooperation in 1970.
Fabricius was awarded the Illum Prize (1969) and, together with Jørgen Kastholm, the first German Gute Form prize for their FK Bucket Seat (1969).
Fabricius died in March 1984 when he was only 52.
Jørgen Kastholm
Jørgen Kastholm was a Danish furniture designer who worked closely together with Preben Fabricius in the 1960s. The airport furniture he designed can now be seen in some 120 airports. In later life Kastholm was professor of design at Germany's Bergische Universität.-Biography:Born in Roskilde,...
. During the 1960s, the pair designed a wide range of pieces for the German Alfred Kill who had a furniture factory in Fellbach
Fellbach
Fellbach is a mid-sized town on the north-east Border of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg. With a population of approximately 43,700 as of December 2003 it is the second largest town in the District Rems-Murr-Kreis. The area of the town is 27.7 km²....
near Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.
Biography
Fabricius was trained as a cabinetmaker by Niels Vodder before attending the School for Interior Design where he studied under Finn JuhlFinn Juhl
Finn Juhl was a Danish architect, interior and industrial designer, most known for his furniture design. He was one of the leading figures in the creation of "Danish design" in the 1940s and he was the designer who introduced Danish Modern to America.-Early life and education:Finn Juhl was born on...
. It was there that he met the blacksmith Jørgen Kastholm. They had a common approach to furniture design, never wanting to compromise on aesthetics. In 1962, the pair set up a design studio in a Gentofte
Gentofte
Gentofte Kommune is a municipality in the Capital Region of Denmark on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 68,913...
cellar without any firm arrangements with manufacturers. In 1965, they exhibited at the furniture fair in Fredericia
Fredericia
Fredericia is a town located in Fredericia municipality in the eastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, in a sub-region known locally as Trekanten, or The Triangle...
where the German furniture manufacturer Alfred Kill noticed their work. Kill had a reputation for high quality but initially Favricius and Kastholm were not keen to design furniture for factory production. Only when Kill offered them DM 2,500 a month each, with no preconditions, did they agree to work for him. They travelled to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
with their first designs for production in Kill's factory in nearby Fellbach. Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Fair in 1966 when they exhibited a whole series of office and home furniture leading to orders from ten large furniture concerns. Their minimalistic designs, both attractive and comfortable, were usually in steel and leather. The Tulip Chair, the Grasshopper Chair and the Scimitar Chair are among their most successful works.
The pieces of furniture they produced during their ten-year period of cooperation from 1961 to 1970 were so distinctive that many are still produced today as classics. As a result of disagreements, the pair decided to terminate their cooperation in 1970.
Fabricius was awarded the Illum Prize (1969) and, together with Jørgen Kastholm, the first German Gute Form prize for their FK Bucket Seat (1969).
Fabricius died in March 1984 when he was only 52.