Designed by Nanna Ditzel for a small exhibition in Copenhagen, the Bench for Two was an instant hit, garnering media buzz at the Cologne trade fair and clinching the gold at the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa, Japan. “We’d never been featured on so many front pages before. No one had ever seen anything like it,” recalls Fredericia‘s second-generation owner, Thomas Graversen.
Inspired in part by butterfly wings, the bench’s curved veneer back is printed with a graphic pattern of concentric circles, which Ditzel spontaneously sketched in marker on the original prototype. Its pill-shaped seat features a central cutout that positions sitters opposite each other, setting the stage for intimate conversation. When not in use, a triangular table can be tucked in to fill the gap, transforming the piece from functional furniture into sculpture.
“We brought this back into production because it was a paradigm shift for our company,” explains Graversen. “At the time, we were very synonymous with a heavy, masculine style. Then I met Nanna Ditzel, and she had this totally different approach to furniture.” Honouring her rule-breaking legacy, Fredericia relaunched the Bench for Two in red, yellow and pink, plus the original black colourway that started it all.
