Press release -
Fredericia launches Pato Paper Chair – crafted with PaperShell
A new chapter in sustainable design has arrived. Fredericia, the renowned Danish furniture company, has unveiled the Pato Paper Chair, a milestone in their pursuit of circular design. At its core is PaperShell, our fossil-free, high-performance material made entirely from biogenic material engineered for complete circularity.
Developed in close collaboration with PaperShell, the Pato Paper Chair continues Fredericia’s growing movement among progressive design brands to integrate radically sustainable materials into renowned products, proving that environmental responsibility and high-end design are not mutually exclusive.
“Once in a while a material pops up that just has solved all the issues and all the problems we normally struggle with. And PaperShell is actually an amazing example of that.”
Hee Welling, designer of Pato Chair.
Renowned form meets circular innovation
Designed by Hee Welling and Gudmundur Ludvik, the Pato Collection is known for its refined simplicity and long-lasting comfort. The new Paper Chair edition continues that legacy with an innovative twist.
The chair’s shell is made from 32 layers of FSC-certified kraft paper, bonded using a natural bio-binder and formed under heat and pressure. The result is a lightweight yet robust structure with a distinct tactile finish, ranging from deep black to warm reddish-brown, giving each chair a unique, organic appearance.
Material benefits at a glance
PaperShell brings a radically sustainable profile to the furniture industry:
- Made from 100% fossil-free, biogenic material
- Up to 98% lower environmental impact than conventional plastics or fibre composites
- Durable, hard, and load-bearing
- Lighter than aluminium, more resilient than plastic
- Designed for circularity and a second life as carbon-locking biochar
- Local sourcing and short supply chains within EU
At the end of its use phase, the chair’s shell can be pyrolysed into biochar, locking in carbon and contributing to soil regeneration, creating a product lifecycle that is not only circular but potentially carbon-negative.
“We are proud to finally launch our partnership with Fredericia. This collaboration reflects our shared ambition to continue exploring sustainability in the context of furniture design.”
Anders Breitholtz, co-founder and CEO of PaperShell.
A shared vision for regenerative design
The launch of the Pato Paper Chair underscores the growing shift within the design industry toward materials that support both longevity and environmental regeneration.
At PaperShell, we’re proud to collaborate with brands like Fredericia, who are not only committed to timeless craftsmanship and functional elegance but are also taking real action to decarbonize their material choices.
