Povl B. Eskildsen

When did you first develop an interest in design?

I grew up with one foot in a furniture factory that produced teak designs. As a young man I created several furniture pieces, honing my craft along the way. I designed and made prototypes through trial and error. It taught me a lot about the demands of design.

Who has been most influential to your creativity and how?

When I visited the Glasgow School of Art as a student I was allowed to leaf through Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s original sketches. It was a revelation for me—and happened at a time before his work was protected, so I had full and free access to his archive. His expression was very graphic and two dimensional and inspired my work with the three-dimensional, adding the necessary functions depending on the design. Hans J. Wegner and Børge Mogensen have also been particularly influential to my evolution as a designer.

What informs your designs?

As much as form and materials are paramount to good design, so are the ways in which we live—how we use furniture in our everyday lives. I have created a lot of outdoor furniture and can see how the way we use it differs across countries and cultures, as well as over time

How long did it take to develop Tradition?

Tradition was imagined in 2015 as a modular system for private gardens – although it works in a wide range of spaces as it can be configured in multiple ways. It was originally designed in aluminium, which lends an entirely different expression to it. It has proved more challenging to shape Tradition in wood than metal. The dimensions have been adjusted and different techniques applied. The wood has been shaped and joined to preserve the natural beauty of the material while ensuring a comfortable design with a timeless look.

What influenced the style of Tradition?

Tradition elaborates on traditional spindle furniture designs, drawing clear references to mid-century renditions of chairs. It looks to the Danish design tradition, fulfilling a function while looking visually appealing. At the same time, it draws on the way we seek to create personal spaces in furniture design, for rest and relaxation.

What challenges did you face during the design process?

Garden furniture places high demands on both design and materials. It has to be durable as well as comfortable, withstanding all weather conditions in a quality designed to last. The corner module in particular required highly specialist skills to shape the back- and armrest with seamless finger joints for a fluid appearance. It was also important to hide the endgrain with dado joints for a more streamlined look and to prevent cracks.