Arne Jacobsen

Arne Jacobsen (1902 – 1971)

Born in Copenhagen, his early artistic interests were channelled by his father into design rather than art. He attended architecture school in Copenhagen and, when working in private practice, became influenced by the theory and practice of modernist architects such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe.

A feature of his pre WW2 work was his attention to every detail, including furniture, fixtures and fittings. This aspect of his work was most notable in the late 1950s design and construction of the SAS Royal Hotel, where he was responsible for designing the building, furniture, fixture and fittings, even the ashtrays. His insistence on control gave his buildings a coherence often lacking in the outcomes of some of his other contemporaries.

It was for the SAS project that some of Jacobsen’s most iconic furniture designs were realised. The Egg and Swan chairs became instant hits. His 1955 Seven Series chairs were also hugely popular, not least because they are light, compact and stack easily.