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Åke Axelsson renews Tessin´s baroque church

Fredrik Church in Karlskrona, designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger in the Baroque style and completed in 1744, will be furnished with 400 new sound-absorbent, stackable, linkable chairs designed by Åke Axelsson. The church has undergone an extensive renovation, one of the largest church restoration projects in Sweden. The vision has been to create a modern, multifunctional church space adaptable to various activities. By replacing the fixed pews with flexible seating, the new layout can be adjusted according to need and the number of visitors. The design of Åke Axelsson’s white-painted chairs is inspired by the church’s architecture, while the use of parchment for the seat and back, with its connection to religious objects, offers a harmonious experience.

Åke Axelsson on his work for Fredrik Church in Karlskrona

Has the church space inspired your chair design?

Yes, very much so. It is always important in my work with furniture and interior design as I start with the specific circumstances of the room. In the case of Fredrik Church, the arches are a recurring theme in Tessin’s design. If you look good on the chairs, you will see that the back support is honest, and with a large number of chairs, you have seen the form repeated in harmony with the church’s architecture, which makes a powerful experience.

Why switch from fixed pews to chairs?

It’s a phenomenon, not just for this specific project, but one that represents a shift in society. It’s about opening up the church, which reflects our era in general. You could say that the old pews represent a static and antiquated church, while the moveable chairs, along with the rest of the remodelling, are open to contemporary needs in creating various spaces for different kinds of gatherings and occasions.

What are the chairs made of?

Steam-modified beech with parchment from large cowhides processed and treated by Tärnsjö tannery. The chairs are painted by hand, which is very unusual in this day and age, and given several coats of linseed wax, which provides durability and a beautiful top layer. It’s an important attempt to implement ecological thinking even in a rational and industrial work process.

Why use parchment for the chairs?

Although it may be the first time the parchment has been used in this way for furniture, it has a long story that goes back to the past epoch of humanity, mostly as a way of transmitting religious texts. An idea came to mind while designing the chairs for Fredrik Church about a natural affinity between the church and the parchment. Nature’s own design and creation.