PlanAbacus

PlanAbacus is a Danish company founded by Lars Angaard Madsen to create conceptual and experimental furniture rooted in an art‑driven, interdisciplinary practice. Working in the tension between music, art and design, LAM employs an uncompromising, associative method in which structural ideas move freely across media.

Holding an MA in musicology and art history, LAM’s point of departure has been the creation of art and design based on a direct translation of music’s fundamental parameters. Noting that the use of serialism in visual art diverged from its original musical form, LAM began his translation of Pierre Boulez’ groundbreaking music composition Structures 1a for two pianos (1951). This resulted in the Abacus Sound Sculpture, which reproduces Boulez’ composition in meticulous detail — and laid the foundation for an extensive Gesamtkunstwerk - musicXart - that playfully unites intellectual translation practice with personal references.

As a paraphrase of the sound sculpture, LAM designed the Triptych Sofa, which was exhibited at Temporary Museum for New Design during Milano Design Week 2012 — and with this, LAM’s interest in furniture design was firmly awakened.

Within this framework, the Glider Chair project stands out as an independent investigation of structure and form, extending PlanAbacus’ commitment to concept‑driven furniture. The final prototypes were completed in January 2025, and were presented to the public at Superdesign Show 2025 during Milano Design Week.

The Glider Chair project has since evolved into a central pillar of the PlanAbacus practice. What began as an investigation of a seat-fold’s structural tension has developed into a fully realised furniture series that combines sculptural presence, functional clarity, tactile comfort and a narrative and conceptual foundation that is entirely unique — a balance rarely achieved in contemporary furniture. In 2026, Glider Chair was awarded an iF Design Award, signalling innovation, quality and reliability.

A key value of the Glider Chairs lies in the extensive visual and tactile variation offered by the Beuys Series (felt) and the Hodja Series (rugs). The interchangeable seat‑fold provides acoustic warmth, comfort and significant environmental benefit by extending the chair’s lifespan, as it can be renewed without traditional, costly and resource‑intensive upholstery.

PlanAbacus’ ambition is to develop an international design universe where artistic investigation and furniture production meet — a place where materials, stories and structures can unfold in new directions, and where furniture is not merely a product but a cultural statement. PlanAbacus seeks to create pieces that invite reflection and curiosity, while embracing the poetic resonance and playfulness that define its practice.