Verner Panton introduced the word “groovy” — or at least its Danish equivalent — into the Scandinavian modern design lexicon. He developed fantastical, futuristic forms and embraced bright colors and new materials such as plastic, fabric-covered polyurethane foam and steel-wire framing for the creation of his chairs, sofas, floor lamps and other furnishings. And Panton’s ebullient Pop art sensibility made him an international design star of the 1960s and ’70s. This radical departure from classic Danish modernism, however, actually stemmed from his training under the greats of that design style.
Born on the largely rural Danish island of Funen, Panton studied architecture and engineering at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where the lighting designer Poul Henningsen was one of his teachers. After graduating, in 1951, Panton worked in the architectural office of Arne Jacobsen, and he became a close friend of Hans Wegner's.
Henningsen taught a scientific approach to design; Jacobsen was forever researching new materials; and Wegner, the leader in modern furniture design using traditional woodworking and joinery, encouraged experimental form.
Panton opened his own design office in 1955, issuing tubular steel chairs with woven seating. His iconoclastic aesthetic was announced with his 1958 Cone chair, modified a year later as the Heart Cone chair. Made of upholstered sheet metal and with a conical base in place of legs, the design shocked visitors to a furniture trade show in Copenhagen.
Panton went on to successive bravura technical feats. His curving, stackable Panton chair, his most popular design, was the first chair to be made from a single piece of molded plastic.
Panton had been experimenting with ideas for chairs made of a single material since the late 1950s. He debuted his plastic seat for the public in the design magazine Mobilia in 1967 and then at the 1968 Cologne Furniture Fair. The designer’s S-Chair models 275 and 276, manufactured during the mid-1960s by August Sommer and distributed by the bentwood specialists at Gebrüder Thonet, were the first legless chairs crafted from a single piece of plywood.
Panton would spend the latter half of the 1960s and early ’70s developing all-encompassing room environments composed of sinuous and fluid-formed modular seating made of foam and metal wire. He also created a series of remarkable lighting designs, most notably his Fun chandeliers — introduced in 1964 and composed of scores of shimmering capiz-shell disks — and the Space Age VP Globe pendant light of 1969.
Panton’s designs are made to stand out and put an eye-catching exclamation point on even the most modern decor.
Find vintage Verner Panton chairs, magazine racks, rugs, table lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$1,950
Verner Panton Cone Chair
By Plus-Linje, Verner Panton
Located in Highland, IN
A Classic Panton design, the cone chair is petite, sculptural, playful and surprisingly comfortable. This vintage example is newly upholstered in a brick red fabric with a nice weave.
Steel
Pantomove Children Swivel Chair by Verner Panton for VS Möbel
By Verner Panton
Located in Hamburg, DE
Panto children's swivel chair by vs möbel according to a design verner panton. the seat shell is made of beech plywood and ergonomically contoured. The most distinctive detail of th...
Metal
$4,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Early Set of 3 Verner Panton Cone Swivel Dining Chair Mid Century Modern
By Verner Panton
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Set of 3 original sixties production Panton cone chairs with original fabric in fair condition. Iconic chairs, comfortable as side chair or dining chair. Out of this world! designe...
Steel
$3,033Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 35.44 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
1960s Original Early Verner Panton Cone Swivel Chair + Ottoman SET-- 2 pieces
By Verner Panton, Vitra
Located in Basel, BS
Original Verner Panton Cone Chair and Ottoman, produced by Vitra. Beautiful set. This is the iconic Verner Panton chair in the shape of a cone, upholstered in blue wool and featuri...
Steel
$2,450 / set
H 31.89 in W 18.12 in D 23.63 in
Panton S, Chairs Vitra by Verner Panton for Herman Miller 1965s
By Verner Panton
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good condition - cleaned.
Laminate
Mid Century Modern Herman Miller Swivel Shell Chairs- Set of 4
By Herman Miller
Located in Chicago, IL
Mid-Century Modern Herman Miller Swivel Shell Chairs in Red Orange Vinyl - Set of 4 Fabulous set of 4 early Charles and Ray Eames fo...
Metal
$5,250 / item
H 28.75 in W 19.69 in D 20.87 in
Mid-Century Modern Grand Swivel Dining Chairs, DEDAR Wool, Handmade Greenapple
By Dedar, Rute Martins, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mid-Century Modern Grand Swivel Dining Chair, Modern Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by GF Modern. The Grand swivel dining chair is a versatile piece that combines eleg...
Brass, Stainless Steel
Mid-Century Modern Milo Baughman Style Swivel Chair
By Milo Baughman
Located in Houston, TX
Mid-Century Modern Milo Baughman style swivel chair. This shapely midcentury swivel chair has been recently upholstered in a beautiful steel blue mohair fabric. Comfortable and stunn...
Chrome
Vintage Verner Panton Cone Chair in Original Orange Upholstery
By Verner Panton
Located in Oceanside, US
Designed in 1958 by the legendary Verner Panton, the Cone Chair is a bold statement piece that embodies the spirit of mid-century modern design. With its striking geometric silhouett...
Steel
Pair of Comfortable Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Comfortable and stylish pair of mid-century modern swivel chairs featuring clean lines and fully upholstered frames. Their smooth swivel base and inviting design make them perfect fo...
Fabric
Vintage Verner Panton Cone Chair in Original Pastel Blue Upholstery
By Verner Panton
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Designed in 1958 by the visionary Danish designer Verner Panton, the Cone Chair stands as one of the most iconic expressions of mid-century modern design. Defined by its bold geometr...
Wood
$931
H 32.29 in W 19.69 in D 23.63 in
Gloss White Panton S-Chair by Verner Panton / Herman Miller Fehlbaum Production
By Herman Miller, Verner Panton
Located in Doornspijk, NL
The S-chair by Verner Panton is one of the absolute stars of furniture pop art. This is the original version of the Herman Miller Fehlbaum Production ...
Plastic
$8,000 / set
H 34 in W 31 in D 28 in
Mid-Century Adrian Pearsall Space Age Swivel Lounge Cone Chairs, 2 pieces
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Atlanta, GA
Adrian Pearsall Swivel Cone Chairs, Model 2353-C – Rare 1960 Craft Associates Space Age Icons An exceptionally rare and iconic pair of Mid-Century swivel cone lounge chairs by Adrian...
Metal
$3,208 / set
H 36.23 in W 31.5 in D 30.71 in
Göte Möbel Swivel Reclining Armchair with Footrest, Sweden, 1970s
By Göte Möbler Nässjö
Located in Bochum, NRW
A stunning example of 1970s Scandinavian craftsmanship, this Göte Möbel swivel armchair and matching footrest set embodies timeless design and ergonomic luxury. Crafted in Sweden fro...
Leather, Bentwood
Design Classic Verner Panton Cone Chair, Vitra, 2000s
By Verner Panton, Vitra
Located in Renens, CH
One Chair Left! Originally designed by Verner Panton in the late 1950s for use in a restaurant, the Cone Chair soon became one of his most recognizable designs; Whether it is the ...
Metal
Sold
H 31.89 in W 19.69 in D 18.9 in
Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen 'Chair a' Chair in Blue Upholstery
By Verner Panton, Fritz Hansen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen, chair 'system 1-2-3', metal, fabric, Denmark, designed in 1973 Chair model 'Chair A' from the '1-2-3' series of Danish de...
Metal
Verner Panton Model Cone K1 Chair from Timeless Design Classic
By Verner Panton
Located in Oirlo, LI
Discover the Cone K1 Chair, a masterpiece by Verner Panton, known for his revolutionary view on design. This iconic 1958 design, produced by Plus-Linje, embodies the essence of the '...
Chrome
Pair of 1970s Verner Panton Cone Chairs by Plus Linje
By Verner Panton
Located in Handewitt, DE
Pair of Cone chairs by Verner Panton for Pluslinje Denmark. Original upholstered with velour fabric. Denmark 1970s. In very good vintage condition.
Velvet
Verner Panton Model Cone K1 Chair from Timeless Design Classic
By Verner Panton
Located in Oirlo, LI
Discover the Cone K1 Chair, a masterpiece by Verner Panton, known for his revolutionary view on design. This iconic 1958 design, produced by Plus-Linje, embodies the essence of the '...
Chrome
Verner Panton armchair System 1-2-3 Fritz Hansen, 1970s
By Verner Panton, Fritz Hansen
Located in Parma, IT
System 1-2-3 armchair design Verner Panton produced by Fritz Hansen in the 70s. Swivel armchair with tubular steel frame covered in dark orange elastic fabric, removable cover. Chro...
Steel
Sold
H 34 in W 27.5 in D 30 in
Verner Panton System 123 Swivel Chairs for Fritz Hansen, Denmark, 1970s
By Verner Panton
Located in Austin, TX
Matched pair of original Verner Panton System 123 swivel chairs for Fritz Hansen. Low lounge profile chairs swivel on tubular chromed metal bases. Kelly ...
Chrome
Sold
H 32.29 in W 27.56 in D 31.5 in
Model 1-2-3 Swivel Lounge Armchair by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen, Verner Panton
Located in Izegem, VWV
Swivel armchair by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen from the 1970s. This is the low version with chromed metal armrests (Model E) and a brus...
Chrome
1960-1970's Pair MCM Red Cone Chairs by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen, Verner Panton
Located in Topeka, KS
Magnificent vintage mid-century modern pair of red Cone chairs by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen comprised of red hopsacking covered bent sheet metal frames, loose round seat cushions, and 4 prong swivel chrome bases with black glides. This piece has been attributed based upon archived research including online sources, vintage documentation and catalogs, designer literature, and other materials. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that these are vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. We have found no outstanding flaws. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1970-1980’s. MY. OH. MY…. What have we HERE??? This is a phenomenal pair of iconic “Cone Chairs” by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen!!! The Cone chair was originally designed by Verner Panton in Denmark in 1957. As the name suggests, the body of the chair takes the form of a cone. Standing on its tip, a semi-circular padded shell extends upwards to form the back and armrests, thereby creating a very comfortable and eye appealing armchair. This pair is comprised of fabric covered sheet metal frames bent into a cone shape, gorgeous bright red hopsacking with white stitching, a loose round seat cushion, and a flat 4-prong chrome base with swivel feature and black glides. If you remove the round seat you can view inside the cone base. An original set of red cone chairs much like ours debut in Verner Panton’s father’s restaurant called “Kom Igen” (meaning: Come Again in Danish) in 1958. How COOL is that?? And a fun little history fact on the Cone chair is that it was originally manufactured by Percy Von Halling-Koch who founded the company “Plus Linje” specifically to produce the Cone chair. In the 70’s, they were manufactured by Fritz Hansen, until 2004 when Swiss manufacturer “Vitra” took over… and they still produce them today. Ours are definitely vintage and throughout our extensive research we believe they were made in the Fritz Hansen era. In a statement made by Verner Panton’s friend Niels-Jorgan Kaiser, he explains the design of the Cone chair as “a ballet dancer standing on her toes and easily turning pirouettes’, supported by a flat four-star base.” His genius to use the geometric form and outstanding bright colors were beyond his time, which was a breakthrough in the history of chair design. And his designs are still classic. They are mid-century modern in style with an Atomic or Mod flair, although they are made in Denmark… so they also have a bit of Scandinavian SASS, and they are sure to make a statement in any room of your home. They would be FABULOUS in a game room, at the counter of your indoor bar...
Sheet Metal
Sold
H 33.08 in W 24.02 in D 31.5 in
Brown System 1-2-3 Lounge Chair by Verner Panton for Fritz Hansen, 1970s
By Verner Panton, Fritz Hansen
Located in Breda, Netherlands
Design lounge swivelchair Verner Panton 'System 1-2-3' lounge chair produced by Fritz Hansen. This chair is upholstered in deep-stitched patinated brown-coloured leather, fitted on ...
Chrome
Verner Panton 'Cone' Chair, 1960's
By Verner Panton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
classic pop modernist design. Steel form swivels on chrome plated steel base with original sage green mohair fabric with geometric design pattern seat. Redone sometime in the 1980'...
Upholstery
Sold
H 34.65 in W 21.66 in D 25.2 in
Verner Panton, Set of Four "A" Chairs "System 1-2-3" for Fritz Hansen, 1970s
By Fritz Hansen, Verner Panton
Located in Paris, FR
Panton's "System 1-2-3" utilises a cantilevered form. This seating was developed as a multi-functional set. Indeed, the chairs could be linked to form a bench and a variety of option...
Steel
Verner Panton "Cone" Chair in Green Velvet
By Vitra, Verner Panton
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Verner Panton “Cone” chair manufactured by Vitra, upholstered in luxurious forrest green velvet. The chair maintains its original tags.
Aluminum