Arne Jacobsen and his most famous works
- Photo: Fritz Hansen, SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen
You may hardly know his name, you may not even have heard of him, but you surely identify his designs, you may even have sat on some of his most famous chairs, armchairs and sofas or you may have been dazzled by some of his architectural gems.
Because if there is one thing for sure, it is that Arne Jacobsen has been one of the most successful furniture designers in history. In fact, among his greatest achievements is that he was one of the first designers to introduce the modern style in Danish design through projects such as the House of the Future.
Jacobsen’s work began through projects such as the House of the Future, with which he collaborated with Flemming Lassen in 1929. In fact, Jacobsen began as an architect creating works as recognized as functional, such as the Rothenborg House or the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.
Decoration classics such as the Swan armchair or the Egg armchair, both by Arne Jacobsen, were created exclusively for these projects.
The Swan armchair, for example, is elegant, sinuous and minimalist. The designer, in fact, imagined it as a swan that he embraced with its wings. He shaped it in his garage with the story The Wild Swans by his compatriot Hans Christian Andersen in mind.
When this Swan chair was first marketed for homes, it was one of the first to be made from molded foam. Its body-hugging curve rests on a chrome base with a swivel pedestal that is as comfortable to sit in as it is beautiful to look at.
Another of its star designs is the Egg armchair, which brings a touch of style to any home. This piece of furniture was designed in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The fame of Jacobsen’s Egg chair dates back to its first public appearance in 1958 in one of the most exclusive Copenhagen hotels of the time.
The audience was instantly fascinated by the unique, beautiful and elegant shape of the egg chair, which, in fact, is so named because of its characteristic shape that gathers the whole body when one sits in it.
Another of his iconic designs is the Ant chair or ant chair that stands out for its lightness, stability and ease of transport. The chair was primarily made of laminated wood panels painted black and plastic legs. Later, with the popularity of the chair and its subsequent mass production, the plastic legs were replaced by steel tubes.
Of very similar characteristics to the previous chairs, Jacobsen’s Grand Prix chair stands out. This was presented in 1957 at the Spring Exhibition of Danish arts and crafts at the Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen.
Nowadays, the surface of the shell can be found in different finishes, such as oak or walnut varnished wood, but also open pore lacquered in a multitude of colors, or upholstered in fabric or leather.
There is no doubt that the seats designed by Arne Jacobsen are special, a must in your home and bring style, design, harmony, comfort,… but Which one would you choose?
All the pieces we have talked about are produced by the brand Fritz Hansen and you can find them in ÁBATON.