Panton's style
Verner Panton believed in using all the colours of the spectrum in his work, as well as in using innovative materials; he even designed the first inflatable furniture. His aim was to blend spatial distinctions and functions together, setting aside the conventional definitions of wall, ceiling and floor, an approach for which he is still considered revolutionary.
The Panton Chair
Panton designed his most famous work, the Panton Chair, in 1960. Because of its S-shape, it is also known as the S Chair. It quickly became a design classic, and its production was enabled by the use of plastic, allowing it to be made from a single material as a single piece. In 1967, the first prototypes of the chair were created in fibreglass; and in 1968 the final, stackable version, was produced by Vitra. The expressive form and sculptural character of the Panton Chair brought Panton numerous design awards.
The Verner Panton Flowerpot Lamp
Panton created his colourful Flowerpot Lamp in 1969, influenced by the flower-power movement of the 1960s. It consists of two half-spheres of glass the same colour, the upper one being twice the size of the lower. The larger half-sphere serves as a lampshade, while the smaller half-sphere serves as a bulb reflector. The ingenious yet simple design continues to be produced to this day.
The Verner Panton Globe Lamp
In the same year, 1969, Panton created his futuristic pendant lamp, the VP Globe, or Verner Panton Globe. The spherical, transparent acrylic polymer shell contains five aluminium reflectors, some of which are coloured, and was a celebration of modern technology and the Space Age. The pendant creates a soft ambient light that is reflected in all directions.
Panton’s Pantower
Panton’s Living Tower was designed as an alternative to conventional seating and, by extension, conventional lifestyles. Similar in principle to a skyscraper, the design offers a ‘wall’ for living, with four different levels of seating forming a sinuous S-shaped void which can be inhabited. The high cost of the piece’s production meant that only a few examples were made between 1970 and 1975.
