Verner Panton studied architecture at the Royal Art Academy in Copenhagen from 1947-51. In 1950 he joined the architectural studio of Arne Jacbosen, where he stayed until 1952 when he left to study in several European countries. Back in Copenhagen three years later Panton founded his own design studio from where he designed the Cone chair and the System 1-2-3 in 1958 and the Heart Cone Chair 1958/59.
In 1963 Panton moved to Switzerland where he founded a new design studio and began a collaboration with Vitra, and together they created his most well-known design the Panton chair that was released in 1967. The chair was one of the first independently developed product by Vitra, and was made from one piece of fiber glass reinforced polyester.
Panton won the Rosenthal-Studio-Preis in 1966 and two years later he exhibited his first colorful interior “Visiona” on the Bayer ship at the Cologne furniture fair. During the following year Panton designed the interior for the Spiegel publishing company and five years later he made de interior for Gruner & Jahr publishing company, both in Hamburg.
Panton participated in the exhibition “Qu’est-ce que le design” at Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris in 1969. During the late 1960’s and early 70’s Panton designed the lamps Flower Pot (1969), Big Flower Pot (1971), Ring lights and VP-globe (1969) for Louis Poulsen and Kugellampen (1969) for J.Lüber.
Panton designed architectural furniture sculpture such as the Living Tower for Vitra in 1969. In 1984 Panton was the visiting professor at the Offenbach College of Design and in 1987 and -88 retrospectives of his design were shown at the furniture fairs in Brussels and Copenhagen. In the mid 1990’s Panton made several designs for the German company Polythema, and the Vilbert chair for IKEA.
In 1998 a retrospective exhibition opened at the Trapholtmuseum in Kolding, which later traveled to Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and the Design Museum in London. Verner Panton passed away in the same year at the age of 72. He is represented at several major museum all over the world and his Panton chair is a part of the Danish Culture Canon.
