Arne Jacobsen
Here you will find our selection of designs by Arne Jacobsen.
Birth name: Arne Jacobsen
Lifespan: February 11, 1902 - March 24, 1971
Nationality: Danish
Genre: Modernism
Exhibitions: Trapholt
Well-known works: Syveren (1955), Myren (1952), Svanen (1958), Ægget (1958).
Arne Jacobsen wanted to be a painter as a child, but was educated as an architect and designer at the Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture in Copenhagen. He was then employed in the City Architect's office in Copenhagen, and after 2 years, he chose to open his own company. He is one of Denmark's greatest designers and is internationally known.
Due to his Jewish origins, Jacobsen had to flee with his wife to Sweden in 1943 in the company of Poul Henningsen. However, time in the neighboring country was not wasted, and he had houses and tablecloths designed. After the war, Jacobsen was able to return home and from here he started designing furniture.
Although Jacobsen's furniture was of the highest quality, the prices were not too high for the general public, which left a long-lasting mark on the Danes' consciousness. Arne Jacobsen helped to introduce modernism into Danish furniture design from the 1990s, which created a greater demand for his furniture.
The ant was originally designed for the Novo Nordisk canteen, but has since become very popular and sold to private customers. The ant had a simple but landmark design. The production was less time consuming and the chair had hitherto unheard of shapes leading to the rise of its popularity. The successor, the Seven, is still loved today and over 16 million of it have been sold. The Grand Prix chair was designed in 1957, and although there was not as much demand for it as the other two, Jacobsen won the grand prize at the Triennale in Milan the same year.
In addition to Arne Jacobsen's chairs, he is also known today for his designs of buildings such as SAS Royal Hotel & Terminal (1960) and Danmarks Nationalbank (1971) in Copenhagen. The latter became his last major project before his death. In connection with the SAS Hotel, the Egg, the Swan, the Drop and the Pot were designed. All four chairs are still widely used today, but the timeless design of the Egg and the Swan helps maintain their long-standing popularity more than the other two models. Danmarks Nationalbank also got its own chair, namely the popular Lily / Series 8.
Another very popular model is the Oxford line, which was designed at the same time as the St. Catherine’s College, distinguished by its more hard and angular appearance. These chairs are especially popular for offices and workplaces.
Before his death, Arne Jacobsen also managed to design various kitchen items, such as cutlery for Georg Jensen. He never compromised on the quality of his functionalist designs with his intuitive and perfectionist approach. Until 15 August 2021, some of Arne Jacobsen's classic designs can be seen at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding. At Trapholt you can also visit Arne Jacobsen's Kubeflex cottage, decorated with his designs.