DAMPA_75_years_of_quiet_design_ENG - Flipbook - Page 80
Jean Fischer thought that alongside the usual building
industry clients, there might also be an opportunity to sell
panels to private individuals, who could install them in their
own houses and workplaces. He therefore also designed
smaller 70 mm-wide panels, the edges of which could be
fixed to ceilings without first installing framing. Marketed as
‘Dæmpa Parket’, these were unsuccessful, however, it
being some years before ‘do-it-yourself’ would take off as a
major cultural phenomenon.
Fortunately, the 90 mm type for professional builders were
an outstanding success, being installed in many prominent
buildings. Although they were costlier than the asbestos
alternative at 35 kroner per square metre versus 14 kroner
for asbestos, they were easier and cheaper to suspend,
meaning that the price difference for a complete suspended
ceiling installation was only between 8 and 10 kroner.
As it was difficult to remove and refit an asbestos panel without causing damage to the edges, it was easy to persuade
potential customers that the small extra cost of aluminium
would be money well spent. Of course, later on, asbestos
fibre was found also to be deleterious to health and so those
who selected aluminium were glad to have done so.
Dæmpa Parket in Aarhus Privatbank A/S, MAA Egon Knudsen, circa 1965
Dæmpa panels in a store, circa 1960
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