Preben Fabricius studied to be a cabinetmaker at the workshop of master carpenter Niels Vodder in 1952. From 1957 he studied at Skolen for Boligindretning (later Royal Danish Academy – School of Design) in Copenhagen.
In 1961 Fabricius founded an architectural office together with Jørgen Kastholm whom he met while they both worked at architect Ole Hagen's studio. Fabricius and Kastholm focused on furniture and single-family houses and designed modernistic wooden furniture for Poul Bachmann during the early 1960s. But Fabricius and Kastholm are best known for the furniture in steel and leather that they began working on when they both left Skolen for Boligindretning in the late 1950’s and that later was produced by bo-ex and Ivan Schleter in Denmark as well as Walter Knoll and Alfred Kill in Germany.
Their international breakthrough came at the Cologne Furniture Fair in 1966 where the duo showed a whole range of office and domestic furniture which gave them commissions from several large furniture producers, such as Walter Knoll and Kill. The Scimitar chair, the Tulip chair, the Grasshopper chair and the Sculpture chair are some of their most well-known pieces.
In 1968 the collaboration between Fabricius and Kastholm stopped due to disagreement, whereafter Fabricius continued designing houses as well as several furniture for Danish Skalma Polstermøbelfabrik. He also worked as a lecturer at Royal Danish Academy – School of Design. In 1984 he passed away at the age of 53.
