The Kevi chair series — The iconic office chair
The better you sit, the more you get done – Jørgen Rasmussen
The Kevi chair has set the scene across the world from universities in the UK to primary schools in Denmark and design offices in Japan. After 60 years on the market, the chair is still as relevant today as it was in 1958.
Besides a range of chairs that vary in size and height, the series also includes stools – in total, 16 variants.
Designer: Jørgen Rasmussen
News
Kevi Office in a new dreamcoat of colours
Presenting the Kevi 2533, Kevi 2534U, and Kevi 2532 office chairs in the colours Rhubarb, Hokkaido, Pine, Azure, Shadow, Black, Oyster, and Snow, and the Kevi Air in Snow, Camomile, Oregano, Juniper, and Black.
About the series
Kevi was designed in 1958 by architect Jørgen Rasmussen. It was originally designed for the company Kevi, but after the addition of the double-wheel castor, the chair quickly went on to become an international success.
The Kevi chair family comprises models on castors in 4 heights and various models. The four-legged Kevi chair with seat and back comprises dining, counter, bar and lounge models – all stackable, except 2052 and 2053. The Kevi stools come with castors and without castors in 3 heights. Kevi tables are available in Ø90 cm in H 72 cm and H 36 cm.
Choose from various components – Linking device, stacking shield, trolley, gliders with feet, chair suspension, arm rest, and foot ring.
The Kevi chair with four legs
After nearly 60 years on wheels, it was time to renew the chair. The sketches for the chair had been in Jørgen Rasmussen's archives for years and in 2016, it became reality. The four-legged Kevi was born. A stackable Kevi in two models, with chrome or wooden legs. Kevi with four legs is a re-make of the classic swivel chair from 1958, with the same seat and back as the Kevi 2533.
Montana acquires Engelbrechts
In spring 2021 Montana acquired the furniture company Engelbrechts as part of the company's business strategy to strengthen its range and profile in the contract and retail market by adding well-designed seating choices to the existing range of storage systems and tables series.
Welcoming Kevi to a colourful family
What better way to welcome and integrate the iconic Kevi design into the Montana product family, than to give it a dreamcoat of colours. Montana's vast colour palette was reinvented by colour export Margrethe Odgaard in 2019 – and the launch of Kevi in 8 new colours are curated from this palette.
Presenting Kevi in the colours in Pine, Azure, Hokkaido, Rhubarb, Shadow, Black, Oyster, and Snow, as well as the Kevi Air office chair in Black, Juniper, Oregano, Camomile and Snow.
Materials and colours
Most Kevi chairs are available with seat/back and base/legs in 8 lazure colours: Black, Pine, Snow, Oyster, Shadow, Azure, Hokkaido, and Rhubarb. Seat/back is also available in Nature Oak, and base in Aluminium.
The Kevi Air is made in polypropylene and available with seat/back and base in Black, Juniper, Oregano, Camomile, and Snow - the base is also available in Aluminium.
The Kevi 2070 is made in compression moulded veneer legs, seat and back in two veneer finishes: Nature Oak and Black Oak.
Upholstery
The Kevi series is available with seat and/or back, inner side and full upholstery in fabric and leather from quality-conscious suppliers such as Kvadrat and Sørensen Leather. The stools: 2051, 2052 and 2053 do not have upholstery as an option.
The Kevi 2534U office chair with base in the colour Hokkaido. Upholstered in the fabric Re-Wool from Kvadrat.
Kevi x Mads Nørgaard
The Mads Nørgaard version of Kevi was first launched in 2016 by two danish design brands – the furniture company Engelbrechts and fashion brand Mads Nørgaard. It was an obvious design collaboration, as the Kevi chair has long been part of Mads Nørgaard's office interior.
The summer 2021, Montana Furniture acquired the furniture company Engelbrechts and therefore we are now pleased to gradually introduce Kevi chairs with the iconic Nørgaard stripes in the Montana range.
Jørgen Rasmussen
Jørgen Rasmussen was born in Odense on April 26, 1931. He graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1955 and in 1957, Jørgen and his twin brother, Ib, started their own studio with a focus on single-family houses.
In 1958, Jørgen Rasmussen and his brother began working for KEVI A/S. The twins designed a villa for Kevi’s CEO, Bent Harlang. The chemistry between them was good and they were asked to design chairs for the company. Primarily Jørgen took on this assignment and designed Kevi, which by the 1960s had become a multi-purpose work chair for both the office and home.
"Some chairs are too technical, but with Kevi we have tried to keep it simple to secure a durable and comfortable chair", Jørgen Rasmussen.
The Kevi castor
After Jørgen Rasmussen developed the double wheel castor in 1965, the demand for the Kevi chair exploded. The new double wheel castor made Kevi more flexible with less wear on floor surfaces.
Acknowledging that humans are differently built, the user driven architect Jørgen Rasmussen added flexibilty in the back part, allowing space and room for the user’s lower back and spine. The height-adjustable function made the chair accessible for user’s of all heights. The technical construction of the Kevi chair started an ergonomic revolution in both the work place, in schools, institutions and in the private home office.
Today, the Danish double-wheel castor invention is used in many industrial designs heightening the well being of millions of people all over the world. The Kevi wheel is included in the Danish Ministry of Culture’s “Cultural collections” due to it’s “positive impact on millions of people all over the world.”.
Kevi 2533 with matching base and shell in the colour Pine.
Easy to handle
The Kevi office chair has a handle that adjusts both the height and angle of the backrest. The silhouette is clean and sharp, and the swiwel chairs has height-adjustment. The double-wheel Kevi castors make the chair manoeuvrable and create minimal wear on floor surfaces – ideal for flexible work environments.
Everything is visible, nothing is superfluous: the seat, back, base and controls. A simple, well-balanced formula that incorporates visual appeal with freedom of movement, plus the flexibility you would expect from a full-service programme. Sustainable, as you can replace individual components and ensure that your chair lasts for generations. The technical construction is visible throughout the design – creating a balanced and well-proportioned whole.
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