In 1986, Italian architect and industrial designer Vico Magistretti created a sketch for a chair that remained unproduced for decades before its recent introduction to the market. The piece, named Ozu after Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, was inspired by the director’s distinctive low camera angle, reflected in the chair’s low-profile metal frame and slipcover design. Magistretti drew the initial concept for his friend Shigeto Muto, founder of the Japanese furniture company Cassina IXC, though the company never manufactured the chair during their lifetimes.

Alessio Giacomel, president and CEO of Cassina IXC, which distributes Cassina products in Japan and promotes its own brand IXC, described the Ozu as “ahead of its time.” Now, in partnership with the Vico Magistretti Foundation and the Copenhagen-based design duo GamFratesi—Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi—the chair is being launched commercially for the first time.

The Ozu chair was one of three historically significant designs from the 1970s and 1980s that were presented during Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design festival in June, all of which had not been produced until recent years. Though these displays were independent of one another, Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, director of design at the Judd Foundation in New York, sees a common thread. She noted that these works highlight a renewed interest in furniture created by architects whose practices extend across buildings, products, and furniture, reflecting a trend of “expansive thinkers” revisiting their designs from previous decades.

Another featured piece was the Arkade Chair by Danish architect Nanna Ditzel (1923–2005), who defied the Modernist principle that form follows function by embracing color and ornamentation in her work. Jonas Krüger, creative director and co-owner of the family-run Brdr. Krüger business, explained that the Arkade Chair, designed in 1983, was only produced starting in 2020 due to its initially perceived boldness for the Danish market. Three customizable, steam-bent wood versions were displayed at Krüger’s new gallery in Frederiksstaden during the fair.

A third highlight was the Wire Chair, conceived in 1972 by Danish architect Dan Svarth, whose prototype remained stored at the Royal Danish Academy’s School of Architecture for nearly 50 years. In 2021, Svarth collaborated with Danish brand A. Petersen and blacksmith Mikkel Kjaerholm—grandson of renowned designer Poul Kjaerholm—to bring the chair into production. Svarth remarked on the newfound recognition of his design, stating that it now receives widespread attention.

Together, these revivals demonstrate a contemporary reevaluation of architectural furniture designs that were once overlooked or considered ahead of their time, shedding light on the lasting influence of mid-century architects across the furniture industry.