74
GL: Comfort and the body are the starting points for our chair design − nothing about looking at a duck. When we get an assignment, we start exploring how it can be done in the best way, in relation to comfort, construction, materials, the environment and price. HW: The outline of the shell has clean simple lines, while the seat surface is gently curved for ultimate comfort. Plastic can easily complete with laminate in terms of environmental impact. The shell of Pato was produced by a Danish plastic supplier, who have been incredibly competent throughout the entire process and it’s super-reassuring to work with a company that knows what it’s all about. HW: Taking away everything that’s superfluous is what design is all about for us − with nothing just for show. That’s what makes it visually long-lasting. Why spend lots of resources on something that will just last three years in terms of design? For example, we’ve spent lots of time finding the right level of comfort in the seat. The edge of the shell is angled in such a way that it doesn’t chafe either your back or your knees. GL: A piece of furniture like Pato also retains its ability to appear exciting when it’s reduced to its absolute simplest form. Pato can be used everywhere. HW: Yes, because when an architect makes a beautiful building, you don’t want a piece of furniture to come in and steal all the attention. Rather a chair that just is, without taking everything from a space. GL: Details need to have a function and that’s how Pato has been thought and created. HW: Børge Mogensen, Fredericia’s most wellknown designer was a world champion when it came to the details. He used completely simple lines, bordering on the banal. But we’ve seen that his visual simplicity has stood the test of time. GL: The chair is designed to meet industrial requirements. And when we work with people who are as talented as they are at FREDERICIA, every aspect of it has been carefully thought through.
HW: Pato has been produced in polypropylene (PP), currently a widely used material for chair shells. In environmental terms, it’s a great product as it’s 100 % recyclable. So any shells that are defect end up in a grinder and can be transformed into plastic granulate, which can be reused. Nothing goes to waste. Laminate might sound fancier and more organic and clean, but laminate can’t be reused, so from an environmental perspective, it’s often better to use a PP plastic, like that which is used in Pato. GL: The advantage of Pato being produced in Scandinavia also has an environmental impact as it requires fewer transportation miles. HW: The great thing about this chair is that getting everything made as locally as possible has turned into a sport. This goes against the current trend of thinking that if it can be made in China, it will be cheaper. GL: By optimising the design, you can also save money without relinquishing the aesthetic. Where does the ‘duck’ come in? HW: You’ll see the reference to the duck’s bill in the seat of Pato. It’s slightly Donald Duck. Please take a seat, a comfortable seat, in a chair that unites form, function, aesthetics, environmental awareness and beauty. And a chair that is within reach of everyone’s budget and tastes. Pato’s got it all.