Portal for Japanese minimalist architecture

Designed especially for Carl Hansen & Søn by Tadao Ando in 2013 as a tribute to Hans J. Wegner, Dream Chair seeks to express the same harmonious, minimalist expression typical of Wegner’s design.

Danish craftsmanship meets Japanese design traditions in Tadao Ando’s Dream Chair – a lounge chair inspired by the Japanese architect’s desire to encourage people to take time to dream.

The culmination of a close collaboration between Tadao Ando and the furniture experts at Carl Hansen & Søn, the Dream Chair is a tribute to Hans J. Wegner – the master of chair design. The project has pushed the boundaries of three-dimensional plywood, resulting in a sculptural and comfortable lounge chair created using a single material. The chair’s unusual floating expression naturally attracts attention. Its simple lines and exacting design are reminiscent of Tadao Ando’s architecture, while the organic curves and expansive surfaces imbue the unique shape with ample space for personal reflection. These contrasts make the Dream Chair both a manifestation of and counterpoint to Tadao Ando’s design philosophy.

“As with concrete, I wanted to create something unique from a material that is accessible anywhere on the planet,” Ando notes.

It is also the Japanese architect’s first design for production, and it is the furniture manufacturer’s first collaboration with a non-Danish designer.

The Dream Chair is a comfortable furniture piece that invites relaxed reflection.

A sculptural work of art in itself, the chair is particularly well suited for larger rooms where it can be seen and enjoyed from all angles.

The Dream chair is made of three‐dimensional form-pressed Beech plywood, which has special characteristics that allow it to be curved along two axles during the molding process.

Tadao Ando and the cabinetmakers at Carl Hansen & Søn pushed the size and curvature of the plywood sheet in order to achieve the necessary characteristics of a chair, attaining a result beyond what was thought to be possible when working with three‐dimensional plywood.

The neck cushion can be adjusted 7cm. The chair can hold up to 160 kg.

Chair consists of three distinct pieces; a headrest, seat, and base.

It is available in oak or walnut without upholstery, or with fabric or leather upholstery on the front side and an adjustable neck support cushion.

The Dream Chair is a work of art, both in a sculptural and ergonomic way, and it is priced accordingly, from $4,995 for wood and from $6,050 with leather upholstery.

TADAO ANDO / biography

Tadao Ando is a leading figure in international architecture and design – disciplines he has perfected over the course of his impressive career. He was initiated into the profession in the early 1960s, and has since developed his skills independently as his contemporary work has become increasingly sought after.

Highly regarded as an expert in his field, he has been responsible for over 150 construction projects of various sizes in Japan and internationally, including the Azuma building in Osaka, Chichu Art Museum in Naoshima, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in St. Louis, and the Teatro Armani in Milan.

Today, Tadao Ando is one of the most renowned and respected architects in the world, influencing future generations with his innovative approach to design. The auto-didactic architect is renowned for uniting Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression and combining pure, simple lines with geometric shapes and organic expression.

His innovative, functional designs have been a good match for the simple Scandinavian style, as Ando describes himself as having been strongly inspired by Danish design culture. In line with the Scandinavian design philosophy, his style is minimalistic and innovative with a focus on functionality. The two have been intertwined over the years as Ando has used design classics from Danish furniture masters to accentuate his buildings and rooms. He expresses great respect for the design approach of Hans J. Wegner in particular, and recently created the sculptural Dream Chair in collaboration with Carl Hansen & Son as a tribute to Wegner.

Tadao Ando founded Tadao Ando Architects & Associates in 1969, where his ideas on architectural design really took root. He has since achieved international acclaim and his original works have received prestigious awards such as the Carlsberg Prize in 1992, the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, Premium Imperiale award in 1996, and the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal in 1997.