PH136826 POÄNG 40 YEARS OF COMFORT AND STYLE To get in touch with us, please contact: Doris Chin email: doris.chin@ikano.asia phone: 03-7720 7273 Voon Pui San email: puisan.voon@ikano.asia phone: 03-7720 7325 Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2015 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 1
PH136825 Living proof of timeless design POÄNG armchair from IKEA is turning 40 this year. The iconic armchair has meant 40 years of style, comfort and choice. And to mark the occasion, we re introducing one new frame and six new covers to the existing range of combinations. So come and celebrate four decades of comfort and style along with us. POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 2
PH137059 Scandinavian design. Japanese designer. IKEA first introduced the iconic POÄNG armchair forty years ago. Yet this icon of Scandinavian design was actually the creation of Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura. Mr Nakamura graduated from industrial high school in Sapporo back in 1931 and has worked both as designer and furniture manufacturer. The reason why I wanted to go to northern Europe is that the design there has essential, creative elements for humans. Their products are pleasant, fun and soothing to touch and use, with each having significant meaning and value. Noboru Nakamura POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 3
PH136769 A new version of the old classic IKEA is releasing one new frame and six new covers to commemorate the 40th anniversary. With new colours, new designs, and a special POÄNG armchair based on the original version. PH136812 Forty years is a fairly long period of time. It s not only a matter of time. There seems to be a lot of customers out there who appreciate my products, which I m pleased and proud of. Noboru Nakamura New POÄNG armchair RM1,070 Birch veneer/seglora natural 591.814.90 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 4
PH137052 New POÄNG series. Armchair RM679 Birch veneer/sandbacka green 291.500.08 Footstool RM299 Birch veneer/sandbacka green 191.505.46 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 5
PH137050 A chair shouldn t be a tool that binds and holds the sitter. It should rather be a tool that provides us with an emotional richness and creates an image where we let off stress. Noboru Nakamura PH137053 PH137051 New POÄNG series. Armchair RM679 Birch veneer/sandbacka green 291.500.08 Footstool RM299 Birch veneer/sandbacka green 191.505.46 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 6
PH136813 New POÄNG armchair RM419 Black-brown/Stenli black/white 791.813.14 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 7
PH136814 You ll never understand the true value of products without using them. Noboru Nakamura PH136772 PH136771 New POÄNG armchair RM419 Black-brown/Stenli black/white 791.813.14 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 8
PH136816 New POÄNG armchair RM419 Black-brown/Edum dark blue 391.500.55 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 9
PH136815 PH137058 Design has essential, creative elements for humans. The products are pleasant, fun and soothing to touch and use, with each having significant meaning and value. Noboru Nakamura New POÄNG armchair RM419 Black-brown/Edum dark blue 391.500.55 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 10
PH137055 New POÄNG series. Armchair RM419 White/Edum pink 391.500.79 Footstool RM199 White/Edum pink 991.501.75 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 11
PH137048 The essence, I think, lies in nature, which enriches us spiritually. And the most important thing is whether we re aware of it or not. Noboru Nakamura PH137057 PH137056 New POÄNG armchair RM419 White/Edum pink 391.500.79 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 12
PH137061 New POÄNG armchair RM339 White/Vislanda black/white 291.812.36 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 13
PH137049 All products should have a timeless value, while there are trends or fashion, some of which influences what we design and make. Noboru Nakamura PH137054 New POÄNG armchair RM339 White/Vislanda black/white 291.812.36 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 14
PH136773 The chair that stands for quality POÄNG s durable form has really passed the test of time. The layer bentwood frame provides the strength to stand being sat down in, day after day. And there s a test machine in the IKEA store to show POÄNG is everything it s cracked up to be. In stores since 1978, the machine pressure-tests the chair 20 times per minute at 1000 newton for a standard 50 000 times. That s like a 100 kg person sitting in the chair 20 times per minute. I learned by experience that a cantilever consisting of a U-shaped structure means a person can swing to some extent with the use of molded plywood. Noboru Nakamura POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 15
PH136822 POÄNG facts and figures The chair was originally called POEM, but was renamed POÄNG in 1992 to correspond with a series of changes and improvements made to it. Value: In excess of 30 million POÄNG chairs sold Approximately 1.5 million POÄNG chairs sold per year at present Approximately 21% lower price than 40 years ago We think POÄNG s an iconic armchair, and want it to be available and affordable to everyone. So we ve been as efficient and possible, reducing waste to a minimum. That s how we managed to lower the price over the years. And today, POÄNG is our best selling armchair. Sustainability: Fabric covers of 100% cotton from more sustainable sources (MSS) Frames made of predominantly FSC certified wood IKEA is a founding member of the BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) The design was changed slightly in 1992, mainly due to transport issues. The steel pipes being replaced by a frame made entirely of layered bentwood. And it could be flat packed. From packing 12 POÄNG per pallet, we could now pack 26. This helped both to lower the price and to promote sustainability, as packaging became more compact and less wasteful. POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 16
PH136827 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 17
PH137060 NOBORU NAKAMURA IKEA FIRST INTRODUCED THE POÄNG ARMCHAIR FORTY YEARS AGO. SINCE THEN, IT S BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ITEMS IKEA HAS ON THE MARKET. THIS ICON OF SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN WAS THE CREATION OF DESIGNER NOBORU NAKAMURA. Japanese designer meets Scandinavian design Noboru Nakamura graduated from an industrial high school in Sapporo in 1931 and joined a furniture manufacturer. Actually, I didn t start my career as a d e s i g n e r. I fi r s t l e a r n e d m a n u f a c t u r i n g processes at factories to understand the production system. Via a colleague Mr. Kawakami, Nakamura got the opportunity to interact with Sture Eng, a renowned Swedish designer and ended up in Sweden. The value of something is more than it s price According to Nakamura, a real designer should come along perhaps once every 100 years. He considers a designer to be more valuable as a professional than simply as a manufacturer. Products should have a timeless value, he explains there are trends or fashions that may influence what is designed and made. He goes on to stress we should always ask ourselves what the good things are, not simply whether they are expensive or cheap. True quality needs to be touched The reason why I wanted to go to northern Europe is that the design there has essential, creative elements for humans. Their products are pleasant, fun and soothing to touch and use, with each having significant meaning and value. I saw how they were designed and made, which impressed and inspired me a lot. Nakamura insists that it s imperative to actually touch the products. He feels that pictures only show how things look. To be exact, you ll never understand the true value of products without using them. And that s what I learned in northern European countries. The very essence of design. And for Noboru Nakamura, that essence lies in nature, which enriches us spiritually. POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 18
PH137227 NOBORU NAKAMURA Great design gives life to movement Noboru Nakamura explains that he found a cantilever consisting of a U-shaped structure holding a person could swing, with the use of molded plywood. And so he came up with the first POÄNG armchair. A chair shouldn t be a tool that binds and holds the sitter. It should rather be a tool that provides us with an emotional richness and creates an image where we let off stress. To Nakamura, such movement has meaning and value in itself. On the subject of his experiences with IKEA design, Nakamura concludes, forty years is a fairly long period of time. It s not only a matter of time. It has much to do with those who regularly use my products. That s why they re still on the market. There seems to be a lot of customers out there who appreciate my products, which I m pleased and proud of. Spokesperson for Mr. Nakamura: Mark Bond, deputy Range Manager BA Livingroom & Workspaces. mark.bond@ikea.com +46 732321590. POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 19
PE575205 New POÄNG armchair RM679 Cover: 77% cotton, 23% polyester. Frame: Clear lacquered birch veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. Birch veneer/sandbacka green 291.500.08 PE575130 New POÄNG armchair RM419 Cover: 52% polyester, 48% cotton. Frame: Stained, clear lacquered beech veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. Black-brown/Edum dark blue 391.500.55 PE603189 PE603194 New POÄNG armchair RM280 Cover: 100% cotton. Frame: Tinted, clear lacquered beech veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. Beech veneer/vislanda black/white 691.812.20 PE575209 New POÄNG armchair RM419 Cover: 52% polyester, 48% cotton. Frame: Stained, clear lacquered birch veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. White/Edum pink 391.500.79 New POÄNG armchair RM339 Cover: 100% cotton. Frame: Tinted, clear lacquered beech veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. Beech veneer/stenli black/white 791.813.09 PH136828 PH136830 PH136824 PH136823 PE604027 New POÄNG armchair RM1,070 Cover: through dyed grain leather. Frame: Clear lacquered birch veneer. Designer: Noboru Nakamura. W68 D82, H100cm. Birch veneer/seglora natural 591.814.90 PH136829 POÄNG 40 YEARS / IKEA PRESS KIT / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 20