Audo Copenhagen Penguin Dining Chair - Fully Upholstered

The Audo Copenhagen Penguin Dining Chair is a mid-century masterpiece designed by Ib Kofod-Larsen in 1953, earning its distinctive name from the penguin-wing "flipper" shapes on the backrest that cradle and support your body as you sit. What makes this chair immediately recognizable is how the slightly oversized organic seat and back contrast beautifully with the slender black powder-coated steel frame, creating visual lightness despite substantial comfort. Kofod-Larsen's simple, honest aesthetic shows in those penguin-shaped fins that aren't just decorative - they mold to your body's contours, providing genuine support during extended meals or conversations. The fully upholstered version envelops both seat and backrest in premium fabric or leather, adding textural richness and enhanced comfort while maintaining the iconic silhouette that made the original an American bestseller. At 32.28 inches high, 22.05 inches wide, and 18.5 inches deep with an 18.5-inch seat height, the proportions work perfectly for dining tables while offering more comfort than typical dining chairs.

The construction combines curved plywood with foam and upholstery over that distinctive steel frame, creating durability that holds up through years of daily use. Available in extensive upholstery options including Re-Wool, Hallingdal, Dakar leather, and Audo Bouclé in various colors, you can customize the chair to match your dining room aesthetic or create intentional contrast. The arm height at 23.35 inches provides natural resting places without interfering with table positioning - high enough to be useful, low enough to slide under most dining surfaces. What's remarkable about this design is how it balances artistic expression with engineering precision - Kofod-Larsen drew, sculpted, made prototypes, and participated in every production phase to ensure the furniture felt as good as it looked. The chair works equally well in residential dining rooms and hospitality settings where comfort during extended seating matters as much as visual impact.

Audo Copenhagen reissued The Penguin Dining Chair to honor Ib Kofod-Larsen's legacy as one of Danish Modern design's most underrated yet brilliant minds. Working somewhat in the shadows of contemporaries like Wegner, Jacobsen, and Juhl during the 1950s-60s golden age, Kofod-Larsen focused primarily on international markets, designing for American, Swedish, British, and German manufacturers. His furniture became better known abroad than in Denmark, though today he's recognized as possessing one of the greatest design brains Denmark produced. His purist approach and exceptional understanding of materials - particularly his preference for teak, palisander, and quality leather - shows in how The Penguin prioritizes how furniture feels to the person sitting in it above all else. Audo Copenhagen maintains the construction quality and material standards that made Kofod-Larsen's work special, ensuring The Penguin Dining Chair delivers the same calm, harmonious comfort and body-cradling support today that secured its status as a mid-century icon seven decades ago.