THE MAKING OF Hand and machine combine to create the distinctive design

The construction of the ‘Series 7’ involves a blend of technical skill and human attention to detail. Craftsmen at the Fritz Hansen factory stack nine sheets of veneer and cut them by hand to create the chair’s signature shape, carefully selecting tones so that the front and back match perfectly. Strength is required to steam-bend the wood without cracking it, using a process that was pioneered by Fritz Hansen. Once this is achieved, a computer-controlled mill rounds the edges, then the timber is sanded and finished by hand, and finally the legs are attached.

‘Series 7’ seats being formed in the factory; and (right) workers assembling chairs by hand in the 1950s