Verner Panton: The Revolution of Colour and Form in Design

Design, like fashion, is often caught in the ebb and flow of trends. For every wave of new ideas, there’s always the tide of tradition trying to pull us back. But once in a while, a designer appears who doesn't just ride the wave — they make the ocean change. Verner Panton, a Danish designer who lived between 1926 and 1998, did exactly that. He didn't just contribute to the evolution of design; he practically redefined it, injecting colour, shape, and energy into a field that had once been defined by utilitarianism. If design was a blank canvas, Panton didn’t just paint outside the lines; he threw the brush into the air and let the paint fall where it may.

Panton’s work was a kaleidoscope of whimsy and function, a fusion of art, architecture, and furniture that embodied the spirit of the 1960s and '70s. His designs were nothing short of transformative, capturing the boldness of his era while looking forward to the future. His most iconic creations — like the Panton Chair and the Living Tower, have become symbols of his revolutionary approach, which spanned from form to function, from practical to abstract. In Panton's world, colour isn’t just an accent, but a declaration, and shape isn’t just a matter of geometry but a way of life.

Aubergine Room by Verner Panton

The Origins of a Design Revolution: From Student to Master

Panton’s early life was far from the high-octane world of futuristic design that he would later become famous for. Born in Denmark, his initial foray into design began at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. It’s tempting to imagine him sitting in a dusty, monochrome classroom, sketching dull rectangles and grey boxes. Panton was anything but conventional. Even in his student days, he was more interested in how things could be transformed through colour and shape than simply reproducing the functionality of an object.

After his studies, Panton worked under some of Denmark’s leading architects, including the renowned Arne Jacobsen. But as we all know, being a mentee doesn’t always mean conforming to the teacher’s methods. Jacobsen’s designs, while revolutionary in their own right, adhered to a more restrained and restrained aesthetic, grounded in functionality. Panton, however, wasn’t interested in boundaries. He wanted to challenge every rule that existed in design. “Why can’t furniture be sculptural?” he wondered. “Why can’t the colour in a room be as loud as the music?” This kind of questioning would shape his career.

His designs didn’t just create spaces; they redefined them. One of Panton’s first major breakthroughs was with his 1960 Panton Chair. A piece that remains iconic to this day, it was the first single-material, stackable chair made entirely of moulded plastic. But it wasn’t just about its technical innovation — the Panton Chair was a visual explosion. Bold, curvaceous, and unexpectedly inviting, the chair was the epitome of Panton’s ethos: design should be as stimulating and unpredictable as life itself.

The Revolution of Colour: Breaking Away from Beige

In the world of design, there was a time when beige was king. The 1950s were a relatively subdued period, and furniture reflected that: muted tones, earthy hues, and geometric shapes dominated living rooms across the world. In this muted world, Panton appeared as a designer in technicolour, turning up the saturation on the entire concept of interiors.

If you were to compare the design world to a person, beige would be the dull office worker in a grey suit, and Panton would be the flamboyant artist who walked into the room wearing an electric blue jumpsuit. He didn’t just use colour; he wielded it like a paintbrush, splashing the world with the vibrant hues of his imagination. From the moment you walked into a room designed by Panton, the colour took over, sweeping you into its bold embrace.

Panton’s use of colour wasn’t just a stylistic choice — it was a philosophical one. colour, for him, was more than a superficial layer. It was an integral part of how we interact with the spaces around us. In a time when minimalism and neutrality ruled, Panton’s interiors were an explosion of psychedelic colour. His Panton Chair, with its red, yellow, and blue variations, wasn’t just furniture; it was a statement — a declaration that functional design could be playful, vibrant, and emotionally charged.

He also worked closely with textiles, creating environments that were almost like colour studies. Walls would be wrapped in bold, contrasting shades, while furniture would make a statement in electric tones that seemed to jump out at you. Panton didn’t just design spaces; he designed emotions, creating atmospheres where colour could stir excitement, relaxation, or creativity. “colour is a visual language,” he once said, and this wasn’t mere rhetoric. It was his manifesto.

The Fluidity of Form: Sculpture Meets Function

But Panton’s influence wasn’t just about colour. His exploration of form is equally noteworthy, and his designs were always a fascinating marriage of art and function. He believed that design should be more than just a functional object; it should be a piece of art, a sculptural expression that elevates the human experience.

The Panton Chair is the perfect example of this philosophy. What could have been a simple stackable plastic chair became a sculptural masterpiece — a smooth, continuous curve that hugs the human form while making a powerful aesthetic statement. It wasn’t just a chair to sit on; it was a chair to experience. The chair’s form made it feel as if it could exist in a world outside of gravity, bending in ways that seemed almost impossible.

Panton Chair (Source: Holger Ellgaard CC)

In addition to the Panton Chair, Panton’s Living Tower is another example of his fluid approach to design. Composed of modular, cylindrical elements, it was both functional and experimental, playing with the idea of modular living spaces while also making an artistic statement. The form wasn’t just a way to fit people into spaces; it was a reflection of human interaction, mobility, and change.

For Panton, form wasn’t something rigid or fixed; it was fluid and alive. He didn’t just design objects — he created experiences. His work broke away from the stagnant, utilitarian forms that dominated design at the time, introducing a sense of movement and transformation. If anything, he invited the viewer to rethink the very concept of what design could be.

Panton and the Future: A Legacy Beyond Time

The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great societal change, and Panton’s designs mirrored the optimism and experimentation of the era. But even as the world moved on and design trends changed, Panton’s work has endured. His radical ideas about colour, form, and function have continued to influence generations of designers, and his pieces are now considered timeless classics.

The Panton Chair is still in production today, over half a century after its original creation. It has become a symbol not just of Panton’s vision, but of the design revolution he sparked. But his legacy doesn’t just live on in furniture. It lives in the way we think about design itself. Panton’s work taught us to embrace colour as a fundamental aspect of our environments, to blur the lines between art and function, and to create spaces that are as dynamic as the people who inhabit them.

Despite his impact, however, Panton never seemed to take himself too seriously. His designs were playful, fun, and exuberant, much like the man himself. He understood that design, at its best, can challenge our perceptions and bring a little joy into our daily lives. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what makes his work so enduring — it wasn’t about trying to be perfect; it was about being bold, being fearless, and never taking the world of design too seriously.

A Personal Reflection: My Own Relationship with Panton's Legacy

When I first encountered Verner Panton’s work, it felt like stepping into a completely new world, one where colour, shape, and energy didn’t just coexist — they thrived together in perfect harmony. As someone who has always been drawn to the boldness of surrealism and the unconventional, Panton’s fearless approach to design spoke to me on a deeply personal level. His work didn’t just decorate a space; it transformed it. There was something inherently liberating about his designs — a reminder that the world of art and design is not bound by the limitations of tradition but by the freedom of imagination.

What strikes me most about Panton is his refusal to accept the status quo. His relentless pursuit of innovation makes his work feel timeless, like he was ahead of his time, creating in a future that hadn’t yet caught up to him. It's hard not to feel inspired by someone who approached design with such boldness, creating furniture and interiors that were as sculptural as they were functional, as energetic as they were beautiful. To me, Panton represents the possibility that creativity can transcend boundaries, that design can evoke emotion and engage the senses, rather than simply fulfilling a need.

His use of colour, which was so integral to his work, resonates with me the most. Growing up, I always found comfort in the vibrant, chaotic bursts of colour in art, and Panton’s use of it in interior design made me realise how deeply colour can affect our experience of the spaces we inhabit. It’s not just about creating an aesthetic; it’s about evoking feelings, sparking creativity, and energising our surroundings. Panton’s designs make you feel something, whether it’s the inviting curve of the Panton Chair or the playful vibrancy of his interiors. His approach reminds me that design, at its best, isn’t just about visual appeal; it’s about creating an atmosphere that speaks to us emotionally.

From left to right: Cirkusbygningen Copenhagen Verner Panton Design AG © Verner Panton Design AG, Privathaus Binningen Switzerland Design by Verner Panton © Verner Panton Design AG, Privathaus Binningen Switzerland Arhus Design by Verner Panton © Verner Panton Design AG, Visiona 2 1970 for Bayer textiles Design by Verner Panton © Verner Panton

A Legacy in Full Colour

Verner Panton wasn’t just a designer, he was a visionary who saw a world full of potential. A world where colour wasn’t just an accent, but a driving force, and where form wasn’t just functional but expressive. His work was a celebration of life, a declaration that design should be as vibrant, fluid, and dynamic as the world itself. In the same way a splash of colour can transform a room, Panton’s designs transformed the way we look at the built environment. He proved that design wasn’t just about practicality — it was about possibility, imagination, and revolution.

And in a world where beige often reigns supreme, that’s a revolution worth celebrating.

S xoxo

Written in Lisbon, Portugal

14th January 2025