THE VIND SERIES

A Q&A with Kasper Salto about the Vind Series

The Vind Series was designed for Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Can you tell us about the origins of the project and how the collaboration with Louisiana and Fritz Hansen came about?

I wondered why Louisiana didn’t have its own outdoor chair. Architects Vilhelm and Jørgen Bo Wohlert designed a chair for indoor use that still sits in the restaurant and gallery spaces, and Poul Kjærholm designed the auditorium chairs. So I decided to show Louisiana a chair that was drawn specifically for the outdoors. I wanted to develop it together with Fritz Hansen — friends of mine since 1997, when I arrived with the sketches for the ICE chair, which went into production in 2003. ICE was used at the museum from 2003 to 2018.

Vind Kasper Salto 4

The word vind means wind in Danish. What role did the sea, the harbour and the surrounding landscape play in inspiring the chair’s form?

The name Vind is more of a metaphor — a way of describing the surroundings at Louisiana: the sea, the sailboats on the Øresund, and the landscape that frames the museum.

You’ve described the Vind chair as a “tool for sitting” — not a piece of art. Why is it important for you to draw that distinction between art and design, and how does it guide your work?

I think art and design are two very different things. A chair at Louisiana must not draw focus away from the art. It needs to act as a good host for its guests — a functional tool.

Design exists to be functional and to serve as useful everyday objects. Art has a different freedom and doesn’t need to meet functional demands.

Vind Prototype Behind the scenes

Vind continues your collaboration with Fritz Hansen, which began 28 years ago with the ICE™ chair. How do you see the connection between the two designs, and how has your thinking changed since then?

For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a new, simpler chair that could scale into many variants, so the series could grow with tables, benches and lounge chairs. That was harder with ICE, which required extensive production equipment like moulding tools.

Comfort was one of your main priorities in designing Vind. Can you tell us about the decisions that led to its double-curved backrest and how you approached comfort in an outdoor context?

I think a chair should be very comfortable, no matter how long you sit. As with the ICE chair, which was also very comfortable, I’ve used the same double-curved geometry in the back. It allows you to sit in several ways, and the chair adapts better to the body with that form.

Vind Kasper Salto 3

Aluminium plays a defining role in the series. What qualities made it the right material for Vind, and what advantages does it bring over other materials?

Aluminium is a fantastic material. It’s naturally light and very durable outdoors. It’s also easy to shape, and because it has a lower melting point, it requires far less CO2 to recycle than steel. The aluminium used for the Vind chair includes recycled material, and it stays looking good for a long time.

You’ve said that Vind was designed for longevity — both in its material and expression. How do you define longevity in design today?

For me, it was important that the Vind Series holds up both physically and visually. I don’t think there’s a better material for outdoor furniture than aluminium as a base. It’s extremely durable in the long term and doesn’t rust like steel.

Vind Kasper Salto 2

The weaving process for the seat is meticulous and time-consuming. From a designer’s perspective, what does this reveal about the level of detail and precision you wanted for Vind?

I wanted to present the chair in a version with a “quiet comfort”, woven by hand with the kind of skill that only comes from experience.

Vind has a calm, almost understated character. How do you create a design that is strong enough to endure but quiet enough to blend naturally into its surroundings?

For me, it’s about being honest in the decisions I make. Design is first and foremost about consumer trust — creating relevant products with long lifespans. Products that earn people’s trust through daily use. If we’re going to spend energy making something new, it must make sense for people and serve its purpose. Otherwise, we shouldn’t make it.

In a world full of things asking for attention, I believe simplicity wins over time.

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Fritz Hansen is known for collaborating closely with designers. What distinguishes your working relationship with their team, and how does that collaboration influence the final result?

In a design dialogue, it again comes down to honesty and trust in the team. In my collaboration with Fritz Hansen, I’ve always experienced strong trust — the freedom to follow good ideas honestly and arrive at a well-resolved result.

When you see Vind in place at Louisiana, what do you hope people will experience when they sit in it?

I hope people enjoy the art and the beautiful surroundings — without noticing that they’re sitting in a chair.

Kasper Salto Portrait

About Kasper Salto

Danish designer Kasper Salto (b. 1967) creates furniture defined by precision, comfort and care for the human experience. Trained as a cabinetmaker before studying industrial design at the Royal Danish Academy, Salto combines craftsmanship with a modern, inquisitive approach to materials and production.

His long-standing collaboration with Fritz Hansen includes the Pluralis™ table series, Little Friend™ side table, NAP™ chair series and, most recently, the Vind Series for Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Each design reflects his belief that function and form must evolve together — that relevance and durability are the true measures of a classic.

Guided by the principle of less but better, Salto advocates for design that prioritises quality, longevity and purpose. “We can’t afford not to care,” he says — a reminder that thoughtful design takes time, and that the best products are those created to last.