First unveiled in 1989, Nanna Ditzel’s Bench for Two was never just a seat. With its sculptural form and unconventional character, it invited curiosity and connection. Over thirty years later, Fredericia is relaunching the iconic piece with Danish furniture brand A. Petersen. Crafted in Denmark, the relaunch includes the original version in black and three vivid new colourways—red, yellow, and pink— reflecting Ditzel’s lifelong fascination with bold colour palettes and expressive form.
A Drawing in Wood
Bench for Two is one of the clearest expressions of Ditzel’s artistic legacy. With this piece, she distilled her ethos into something unmistakably her own. Sculptural yet functional, playful yet grounded, it invites quiet dialogue and shared presence with the two seats gently incline toward one another.
The graphic backrest, concentric circles punctuated by a single red dot, originated from a spontaneous sketch. Ditzel picked up a marker and drew directly onto the prototype. In the original release, this immediacy was preserved through a silkscreen print on 1.5 mm aircraft-grade maple veneer. Inspired in part by the delicate symmetry of butterflies, the bench evokes natural grace and ergonomic clarity. Crafted from solid maple and veneer, it remains a technical and artistic achievement more than three decades later, reflecting Ditzel’s ability to unlock the expressive and functional potential of materials.
The relaunch celebrates Ditzel’s vision, where design meets emotion, and furniture becomes a space for quiet presence. To this day, the bench still challenges conventions. It remains a radical statement of gentleness: sculptural in form, human in scale, and alive with intention. The bench is paired with an adjacent table, designed to complement the angles of the bench perfectly. Together, they form an intimate setting that balances functionality with artistic expression.
A New Chapter: the Fredericia collaboration
In reintroducing the Bench for Two, Fredericia honours the legacy of a transformative partnership. In 1989, at the age of 66, Ditzel embarked on a new creative chapter through her collaboration with Fredericia. Thomas Graversen, Fredericia’s second-generation owner, recalls seeing the bench for the first time at The Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition in Copenhagen that same year: “I thought it was incredibly beautiful, like a sculpture,” he recalls. “It wasn’t a traditional bench. I fell in love with it, and that became the start of our era with Nanna, where we dared to push the limits of how furniture could be made.”
– Thomas Graversen
The following year, the bench and accompanying table were put into production and exhibited at the Cologne trade fair and won gold at the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa, Japan. Bench for Two paved the way for a new approach to design, blending the legacy of Danish heritage with an innovative, poetic modernism.
Crafted with Care – Then and Now
As part of the relaunch, Fredericia has partnered with A. Petersen, a Danish brand renowned for its progressive craftsmanship and deep respect for design heritage. From selecting the artist who, in collaboration with the Ditzel family, reinterpreted Ditzel’s original colour palette, to choosing master cabinet makers skilled in crafting the bench’s intricate details, A. Petersen has played a vital role in bringing new life to the piece. Each bench and table is crafted in Denmark, honouring the precision and care that defined the original.
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