Relaunching Nanna Ditzel's poetic masterpiece, Bench for Two
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.
“ 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, Fredericia's second-generation owner
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.
