Architecture studio Henning Larsen has collaborated with furniture brand Brdr Krüger to release the Ekko Chair, which was designed for the recently completed Højvangen Church in Skanderborg.
Unveiled at an exhibition at Brdr Krüger‘s Copenhagen showroom during the 3 Days of Design festival, it is the first chair designed by the studio in over 60 years.
Henning Larsen worked with the Danish furniture brand to create a hardwearing, stackable chair for the main hall of the Højvangen Church in Skanderborg.
“Højvangen Church needed a flexible and inclusive space for a range of community events, not just Christian ceremonies,” Henning Larsen senior designer Anders Astrup Andersen told Dezeen.
“Traditional church benches or static chairs didn’t meet this need,” he continued. “We wanted a seating solution that was open, transparent, and could adapt to different uses while maintaining a strong architectural presence.”
“The chair is part of a gesamtkunstwerk – a holistic design where we developed everything from the architecture to the liturgical furniture. Naturally, the chair had to belong to this same design family.”
Henning Larsen designed the timber chair, which has a woven fabric seat, as it could not find a piece of furniture that would work well within the space.
“The circular seating arrangement radiating from the altar required a chair that could link in a curve – something we couldn’t find on the market,” explained Andersen.
“We tested several existing options but none offered the right combination of openness, simplicity and visual harmony with the architecture,” he continued.
“We wanted to create a democratic object. Just as the priest stands at eye level with the congregation, the chair reflects the flat hierarchy and openness of the space. Its design supports circular or linear arrangements equally well, always reinforcing the sense of community.”
Despite having a minimalist appearance and its lack of stretchers, the chair meets the highest durability standard (EN 16139 L2), according to Henning Larsen.
The studio believes that its strength and versatility, along with its pared-back form, mean that it would fit in multiple settings, in addition to churches.
“The chair’s versatility makes it ideal for dynamic environments – whether it’s a church, office, canteen, or hospitality setting,” said Andersen.
“Its transparent form complements rather than dominates a space, making it suitable in large numbers. With a variety of material options, it can adapt across different settings while creating visual continuity in a project.”
The chair was commercially released during an exhibition at Brdr Krüger‘s showroom during 3 Days of Design.
At the event, the furniture brand also launched new variants of the chair with wooden and leather seats and with a fumed oak finish.
Overall, Andersen hopes that the end result justifies bringing another chair design to market.
“There are already countless chairs in the world,” said Andersen. “So, the question becomes: can we justify another?”
“We believe so – this chair responds to today’s needs for flexibility, transparency and sustainability,” he continued. “Designed with timelessness in mind, it offers a contemporary take on what a chair – especially a church chair – should be.”
Henning Larsen was founded in 1959 by the architect of the same name, who passed away in 2012. Recent projects by the studio include the World of Volvo exhibition and events centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a timber rowing club in the Faroe Islands.
The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.
Echoes of Scale is on from June 18-20 at Brdr Krüger’s Copenhagen showroom as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more events taking place in the Danish capital and elsewhere around the world.
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