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PK52 / PK52A
PROFESSOR & STUDENT DESKS
The PK52 Professor Desk, together with the smaller PK52A Student Desk, designed for
the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, established Poul Kjærholm’s reputation for uniting
the best of traditional craftsmanship and industrial design.
DESKS
PK52 PROFESSOR DESK
TABLETOP Oak, oil DRAWER Oak, black FRAME Black-lacquered steel
PK52A STUDENT DESK
TABLETOP Oak, black FRAME Gray-lacquered steel
The Academy needed a number of tables for lecturers
and students, and Kjærholm, who had recently joined the
academic staff, designed a pair of bespoke tables for the
occasion: the larger Professor Desk and more compact
Student Desk.
Drawing on his cabinetmaking experience, Kjærholm
developed a new table structure that showcased his mastery
of steel and wood. Metal ferrules separate the steel and
wood to lend these desks a dynamic, light appearance and
highlight his signature ability to unite traditional
craftsmanship and industrial design.
Both desks offer reversible tabletops, allowing the user
to work on both sides – or use one side for work and the
other for meals.
They embody the lightness and simple, geometric elegance
for which the designer became renowned and established
Kjærholm’s pioneering role in Danish functionalism.
They also confirmed his position as one of the world’s leading
furniture designers.
An optional drawer in both desks offers elegant storage
space, and both can easily double as dining tables.
