Busk + Hertzog is a Danish design team known for their award-winning furniture designs. Formed by designers Flemming Busk and Stephan Hertzog in 2000, they are two of the most awarded Danish designers, winning international design awards such as the Red Dot Awards, IF Awards, and Good Design Awards. Busk+Hertzog is based in London, England; several of the pair's designs have been exhibited at design museums internationally. They are also included in the Danish Design Museum database for historic Danish Design and all of their designs are listed in the museum online library.
History
Busk + Hertzog was founded in 2000 by Flemming Busk and Stephan Hertzog. Busk is a master in architecture and design from the School of Architecture in Aarhus, Denmark and Hertzog had experience in the textile industry. They met in Aarhus and have been designing together ever since. In the early years, Busk worked as the designer and Hertzog worked on the business side of the team. Over the years, both have come to influence all aspects of the team. In 2010, the team moved to London in order to find new inspiration for their designs. In 2008 they were awarded the "Furniture Prize" at the Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen by the furniture industry in Denmark. The Furniture Prize was instituted by the Foundation of the Association of Furniture Manufacturers in 1969 ”.... to support and encourage initiative and efforts, made to promote design development, research and technical development for the Danish furniture industry...” as it says in the instrument of foundation. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1970 – and was awarded for the last time in 2009 - to The Danish Design Museum. Among the previous prize recipients are prominent design icons such as Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen og Poul Kjærholm. The design duo was in 2004 among the Danish designers taking part in the Danish Design Project at MoMa, New York where their "Lotus" chair was selected by MoMa curators for the project.
Busk + Hertzog's designs have been described as "clean" and "minimalist", yet sculptural, incorporating horizontal and vertical lines and geometric shapes. Their designs combine bold colors with clear indications of their Danish design heritage. Busk + Hertzog develop their design ideas from physical research into furniture, and from examining shapes and lines in nature. They also visit locations where their furniture is in use in order to receive inspiration. Busk has been quoted as saying, "to be allowed to sit in all anonymity and see that our design was actually used, as we had thought, was very large. We are honored to have prices, but we design furniture to be used by all, and therefore find it much more satisfying to meeting our products in real life."
Designs
Busk + Hertzog have designed furniture for retail sales as well as for major companies throughout the world. Their work has been on display at the Royal House of Norway, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Norwegian Embassy in Helsinki, and the Carnegie Trust. Their work displayed at the Museum of Modern Art can be purchased as the museum shop in both New York and Japan. Their designs are included in the Design Within Reach catalog which sells furniture both online and in stores in the United States. They have also designed furniture for CNN International headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia and Nordea in Stockholm, Sweden.
Awards
Busk + Hertzog have won a multitude of awards since its inception. Some of the most notable awards include the Red Dot Awards, IF Awards, and Good Design Awards. Most recently, they were given the IF Product Design Award for their "Bubbles" design awarded by International Forum Design.
2013 Red Dot Product Design Award 2013 for "Penny Coatstand"
2013 Red Dot Product Design Award 2013 for "Rada shoe rack"
