Poul Kjærholm had a particular interest in different construction materials; especially steel which he considered a natural material with the same artistic fineness as other natural materials. He was employed at FH for about a year, where he designed a number of noteworthy chair prototypes. In 1955 Poul Kjærholm initiated his collaboration with manufacturer Ejvind Christensen.

Regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s ‘less-is-more’ approach to design was the gold standard for many generations of modern architecture. His legendary career started humbly at his father’s stonemasonry business, giving him an early appreciation of material and structure.

Henningsen was obsessed with light. He can be said to be the world’s first lighting architect. He devoted his career to investigating the importance of light for our well being. He worked on the theory that the observer should not be subjected to direct glare from the light source. Henningsen used a series of layered shades to both spread the light and conceal the light bulb.

Verner Panton studied at Odense Technical College before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. He worked from 1950-52 in the architectural firm of Arne Jacobsen, and founded an independent studio for architecture and design in 1955. His furniture and lighting attracted worldwide acclaim for their geometric forms and fluid lines.

Design is for living. That maxim shaped a widespread shift in design during the 1940s and 1950s. It was a revolution of form, an exciting visual language that signaled a new age and a fresh start – and two of its prime movers were Charles and Ray Eames. The Eameses were a husband and wife team whose unique synergy led to a whole new look in furniture.

Possessing one of the most inventive minds of the 20th century, George Nelson was one of those rare people who can envision what isn’t there yet. Nelson described his creative abilities as a series of “zaps” – flashes of inspiration and clarity that he turned into innovative design ideas. One such “zap” came in 1942 when Nelson conceived the first-ever pedestrian shopping mall.

Widely considered one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, Le Corbusier is credited with changing the face of urban architecture, bringing it into the technological age. Connecting architecture with revolution, his legacy demonstrates a strong sense of purpose to meet the needs of a democratic society dominated by the machine.

Gerrit Rietveld, seems possessed of two personalities. The first is that seen in the craftsman cabinet-maker working in a primordial idiom, re-inventing chairs and other furniture as if no one had ever built them before. The second is that of the architect working with elegant formulas, determined to drive home the rationalist and neoplastic message in the context of European architecture.

When you look at the graceful shapes and sensual curves of Finn Juhl’s work, you may be shocked to realize that he designed these pieces 60 to 70 years ago. A pioneering force in his own country, Finn Juhl is also credited along with fellow Danes Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Borge Mogensen and Poul Kjaerholm for introducing Danish modern to mid-century America.

Born in Los Angeles to an American mother and Japanese father, Noguchi lived in Japan until the age of 13. Perhaps more than any other midcentury master, Isamu Noguchi blurred lines between the public and the personal, between art and design. His career was defined by experimenting, learning and creating.

Hans Wegner stands among Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjærholm and Verner Panton as a master of 20th-century Danish Modernism. More specifically, he was instrumental in developing a body of work known as organic functionalism. He designed furniture for the Århus Town Hall in the early 1940s before establishing his own furniture studio.

Arne Jacobsen bought a plywood chair designed by Charles Eames and installed it in his own studio, where it inspired one of the most commercially successful chair models in design history. The three-legged Ant chair (1951) sold in millions and is considered a classic today.

Born to world famous parents, architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero Saarinen was surrounded by design his whole life. It came as no surprise that Eero was helping his father design furniture and fixtures for the Cranbrook campus by the time he was in his teens.

A champion of the modern movement and protégé of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer is equally celebrated for his achievements in architecture and furniture. Breuer was a student and subsequently a master carpenter at the Bauhaus in the early 1920s. His entire body of work embodies the driving Bauhaus objective to reconcile art and industry.

Warren Platner studied at Cornell University, graduating in 1941 with a degree in architecture. He went on to work with legendary architects Raymond Loewy, Eero Saarinen, and I. M. Pei before opening his own architecture practice. Platner made notable architectural contributions during his career.

Design is for living. That maxim shaped a widespread shift in design during the 1940s and 1950s. It was a revolution of form, an exciting visual language that signaled a new age and a fresh start – and two of its prime movers were Charles and Ray Eames. The Eameses were a husband and wife team whose unique synergy led to a whole new look in furniture.