Kvadrat is a Danish textile company that produces and supplies textiles and textile-related products to architects, designers and private consumers in Europe and worldwide. Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 with deep roots in Scandinavia's design tradition.
Kvadrat's close collaboration with designers resulted in the creation of classic textiles such as Nanna Ditzel's Hallingdal that has kept a strong presence in private homes, hospitals, airports and trains, most prominently on the Danish National Railways (DSB). National critical recognition of Kvadrat's contribution to design came in 1986 when Danish Museum of Art and Design staged the exhibition Kvadrat Textiles through 20 Years.[4]
In the early 1980s Kvadrat joined the international design scene when they started to work with Italian-based American designer Ross Littell. The company resisted international trends and kept its distinctive Scandinavian style. Kvadrat textiles were used as the bearer of national political symbolism when British architects Foster and Partners were commissioned to design the interior of the Debating Chamber of the Bundestag in the Reichstag, where cobalt blue Topas textile was used "to represent a strong image of Parliament".[citation needed]
The direction of Kvadrat passed to the next generation in the 1990s, when Poul Byriel's son Anders Byriel took over as the CEO along with Erling Rasmussen's daughter Mette Bendix as the product director.[5]
In 2011, Kvadrat bought a 49% share of Wooltex in the UK.[6] In March 2017, Kvadrat announced the purchase of 52% of the Danish sustainable materials company Really.[7]
Activities
Kvadrat (which means the square in Danish) is a producer and supplier of textiles and textile-related products for architects, designers and private consumers in Europe and worldwide.[5]
Kvadrat also develops acoustic panels made of acoustic-absorbing textiles to eliminate the echo in large buildings and open spaces.[8] Its brand Really specializes in upcycling end-of-life textiles into solid textile boards for reuse.[9]