The iconic J53 chair, designed by Poul M. Volther in 1953

Fits seamlessly into modern homes today. The relaunch breathes new life into a classic, bringing calm and elegance to any corner and living space.

J53 was designed by furniture architect Poul M. Volther in 1953. The design was originally launched as both an armchair and a 2-seater sofa, representing a break with the design tradition of the time where fully upholstered furniture had dominated living rooms for decades.

The time was right for lighter and more modern furniture, which perfectly suited Volther’s simple and functionalist design language. When the chair was launched in 1953, Poul M. Volther was head of design at FDB Møbler, and in the wake of the presentation, several major manufacturers launched similar designs. Relaunching in 2024, the J53 is retrospective and relevant at the same time and is one of many great chairs from Volther’s hand that remind us of our history and heritage.

Poul M. Volther

Poul M. Volther (1923-2001) belongs to a generation of popular Danish architects who have deep roots in good craftsmanship.

Poul M. Volther’s style was based on Scandinavian functionalism, which with a modern twist found a middle ground between the Bauhaus style and classic, practical craftsmanship. In doing so, he avoided getting caught up in various short-lived trends, where he instead designed works that could keep people spellbound by their beauty across time trends and tendencies. The Corona chair is a good example of this. The Corona chair is by far Poul M. Volther’s best-known piece of furniture. He is also behind a large number of other well-known Danish furniture classics, including the cane chairs, where you can see that the strictly logical design with great focus on both the sitting experience and the structure of the chair, mixed with a unique modern look and a flair for color and organic thinking.

Poul M. Volther was originally trained as a cabinetmaker. He furthered his education at the School of Artisans, where he taught for many years at what is today Denmark’s Design School. Here he left his mark on hundreds of young furniture architects’ sense of the quality of craftsmanship.

In 1949, he was employed at FDB’s design studio with the help of the well-known Hans J. Wegner. Here he first worked under Børge Mogensen until 1959, when Mogensen left FDB and Volther became leader. Poul M Volther’s style was simple, functional and beautiful. Which has resulted in a large number of his design classics finding their way into many thousands of Danish homes, where they are still seen today.