ReNEW

History comes included with Fritz Hansen’s programmes of responsible offerings. Explore our three initiatives designed to foster a circular economy for our professional clients.


A LEGACY OF QUALITY & LONGEVITY

For decades, Fritz Hansen has offered repair services and spare parts for both private and commercial customers. ReNew is the next natural step in our longstanding commitment to providing furniture that can be passed down for generations for the people who treasure iconic design.

ABOUT RENEW

Fritz Hansen’s ReNew is a set of initiatives designed to advance a circular economy, and ensure our products remain in use for as long as possible. Introducing our Refurbish, Repair and Recrafted programmes.

Refurbishing Series 7 Chairs

Follow the journey of 100 chairs from as far back as 1983 as they are refurbished to good-as-new condition.

 Topsoe Refurbishment of Series 7™ chairs

The revitalised canteen space at Topsoe’s headquarters not only offers employees an enjoyable, multifunctional environment but also supports Topsoe’s sustainability focus thanks to Fritz Hansen’s Refurbish programme. 

As a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, sustainability is at the heart of Topsoe. It made sense, then, to look at how the Topsoe could implement sustainability on a practical level during the refurbishment of the outdated canteen at their headquarters in Lyngby, north of Copenhagen.
 
“The canteen is the hub of the building and was historically used only during lunch hours. We wanted to develop the space so people would use it more often, implementing a designated café for connection and a more friendly and appealing environment for informal meetings throughout the working day,” explains René  Jacobsen, Global Facility Management Director at Topsoe.

Together with Helle Nøhr Holmstrøm, an architect specialised in workplace design, culture and human behaviour at the facility management company Coor, they worked to create a more dynamic environment conducive to collaboration and connectivity at all levels of the company. And with 900 people using the canteen on a daily basis, it was important to balance sustainability practices with financial considerations.

“Repurposing furniture is on the rise and architects and designers have long been aware of the value in salvaging quality furniture to prevent waste and maximise resources,” notes Helle. “This approach aligns with sustainability goals and also offers financial benefits, as continual office redesigns are neither practical nor sustainable.”
 
They discovered a number of Series 7™ chairs that have followed the company since 1983 but had been sitting in storage for years. Already familiar with Fritz Hansen’s Refurbish programme, they knew it was possible to give these old designs a second life.
 
“There’s a sense of emotional attachment to the chairs from 1983. They are a part of Topsoe's history,” Helle explains, adding that the inclusion of existing furniture serves as a tangible link to Topsoe's past, fostering a deeper appreciation among employees for the company's journey and values and enhancing the overall sense of connection and belonging within the workplace. “Furniture has the ability to create meaningful connections,” she adds. 

While physical space can influence behaviour, true change requires concerted efforts in change management and addressing culture and behaviour. For Topsoe, sustainability holds immense importance, particularly given the historical environmental impacts of their industry.

“At Topsoe, we focus on [emission] areas that are hard to abate, in particular merchant shipping and aviation, and are developing technologies that support the world at large to make more sustainable choices. One thing is to help customers with technology to reduce emissions and another is to look at those we ourselves create at Topsoe,” René says. 
 
Challenging the inclination to remove and discard everything when refurbishing, Topsoe wanted to focus on reusing: “In some areas we’re unable to lower emissions, but we counter this by reusing and repurposing where we can. This is one of the areas where we can mitigate our CO2 emissions significantly.”


The refurbishment presented an opportunity to adjust the low base of the chair to modern standards for comfort and to align the chair's colours with Topsoe's new visual identity, a blend of subtle tones and the bold Topsoe lilac. 
 
“This colour choice, though considered daring by some, reflects the company’s willingness to embrace change and inject vibrancy into the canteen space,“ says Helle. “It’s important to use these valuable assets in the most effective manner, ensuring they are integrated into modern settings to maximise their impact. However, there’s been a shift in companies' attitudes towards such investments. In the past, companies were often more willing to invest in expensive furniture and art for their offices, whereas today current budget considerations and political agendas have led to a more cautious approach,” she adds. 
 
Despite this, there are long-term benefits of investing in quality furniture and programmes like Refurbish further extend the life of such designs while instilling a sense of pride in the companies that are making these responsible choices.
 


The Series 7™ chair has the lowest CO2 emissions of Fritz Hansen’s portfolio, and its footprint is significantly reduced by refurbishing rather than reproducing the design.