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Modernism, perfectionisM and an uncompromising attitude were at the heart of Arne JAcobsen’s craftsmanship, be it Architecture or industrial design. We take a closer

look at a designer who personified the nordic wave.By: Camilla Julner

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The Nordic

WaveHis austere and streamlined designs were close to his heart, and Arne Jacobsen never gave up on them. When he had his mind set on an idea, it was to be finalized no matter what. The SAS Royal Hotel, these days known as the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, in Copenhagen incorporated both the mod-ernism and perfectionism of Arne Jacobsen. At the time, in 1960, it was the world’s first designer hotel and Co-penhagen’s first skyscraper. Consequently, the building received a lot of attention and a fair amount of criti-cism as newspapers wrote page after page about the unusual construction in the heart of Copenhagen.

From a very young age, Arne Jacobsen dreamt of being a painter and working creatively, but his father John Jacobsen, who was a tradesman, was against the idea. So his dreams of being an artist had to be set aside. Arne went to sea and worked as a mason apprentice in Germany, where he got a feel for working with materials and construction. He studied architecture at the Royal Danish Acad-emy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, under pro-fessors Kaare Klint and Kaj Fisker (architect and designer who combined tradition with modernism, best known for the silver pieces he made for A. Michelsen in the mid-20’s). In 1957, Jacobsen found himself designing cutlery in stainless steel for the same firm, A. Michelsen. This cutlery set is still manu-factured as an Arne Jacobsen design for Georg Jensen.

The influence of conTemporary

archiTecTure and Bauhaus

At the International Exposition of Modern In-dustrial and Decorative Arts in Paris, 1925, the

talented architecture student was awarded an im-pressive silver medal for one of his very first pieces

of furniture. At the fair he was strongly influenced by Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, who would

soon be in charge of the Bauhaus school. They were highly critical of the 1920s ideals of class distinction,

which would become a springboard towards modern-ism. They were “steel and glass architects” and created the

norms for the new architecture theory – and like a proph-et, Le Corbusier wrote a new architecture manifesto.

Arne Jacobsen already had a functional view of archi-tecture, and he took the ideas of collectivism and unity to

heart and developed them into what would become the char-acteristic Nordic style.

A building’s appearance and its interior should be dictated by its structure and intended use. In practice, this meant

that a building’s shape was to be decided by the materials and industrial processes used in manufacturing, rather than unnecessary decorations.

young and successful archiTecT

A mere two years after his graduation from the architecture program at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the 27-year-old Arne

Jacobsen won an award for his ultra-modernistic concept “The House of the Future”, given to him by the Danish Architects Association.

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he house was built for an exhibition, and established Arne Jacobsen as the most visionary and progressive Danish architect of his time. The house was the first example of modernistic architecture in Denmark. The

award became the start of his own architecture firm as well as the Bellavista housing project. It would be the first project to be based on the ultra-modern concept, and many more would follow.

The world’s firsT designer hoTel

Copenhagen’s first skyscraper, which at the time was also the largest hotel in Scandinavia with 275 rooms, had brought about a fierce debate. The construction of the SAS Royal Hotel began in the late 1950s, and was called “the landmark of the Jet Age”. It was frequently reported on by the media – generating excitement, fear and worry. Would the building be able to withstand the winter storms, or would it tipple over? Would a 22-sto-ry skyscraper, soon to be the tallest building in Scandinavia, ruin the Copenhagen silhouette? The first showing in 1960 received a lot of at-tention, domestic as well as international, which was unusual at the time.

The building had a fantastic interplay between exterior and interior,

and was easily the most modern hotel in Scandinavia. The shimmering façade and the light’s reflections made the building blend in beautiful-ly with its surroundings, and took most viewers by storm. The organic shapes of the furniture contrasted with the exact, restrained lines of the building. Arne Jacobsen was a very strong-willed architect, which made it possible for him to influence not only the shape of the building itself, but also the majority of its decorations. However, not everyone was pos-itive about the project. A review in the New York Times at the time read: “The sparse use of materials reminds you of the inside of an airplane. Some-thing more robust and visual would have been preferable. But simplicity is part of Arne Jacobsen’s style, and simple he is”.

Several of Arne Jacobsen’s interior designs made their début at the hotel, and have since become classic designer objects. The Arne Jacobsen candlestick, which can be bought at Georg Jensen, is made of three con-nected spheres. Its shape is inspired by Jacobsen’s classic chairs Egg and Swan, which were part of the interior design of the SAS Royal Hotel. Every detail was of equal importance to Jacobsen; hotel rooms, check-in desk, bathrooms, conservatory, cutlery and lighting.

The cutlery set was a revolution for the industry, resem-bling nothing else at the time with its extremely simple and bold design. The cutlery took Georg Jensen’s early style as a point of reference, and had an enormous impact on the world of design. Jacobsen’s view of the functional qualities of cutlery came to dominate the industry for years to come, and the timeless modernity of the cutlery resulted in an appear-ance in Stanley Kubrick’s film “2001 A Space Odyssey”.

Jacobsen’s collaboration with Fritz Hansen was already in mo-tion in the early 1930s, but it wasn’t until after the second world war that it became technically possible to use moulded plywood in manufacturing. The collaboration took a successful commercial turn with the launch of the revolutionary stackable chair model 3100 – later known as The Ant, with its three legs. The chair was the first of its kind, with a seat and backrest made of moulded plywood. It was originally made of veneer, and is currently available in nine different colours. Arne Jacobsen had to fight for his idea, however, as the people at Fritz Hansen were not convinced of its potential. In the end, he was able to have it his way by guaranteeing that he would buy any chair that

didn’t sell. Inspired by Charles Eames, but with a personal style, The Ant chair was a milestone in technical performance for Fritz Hansen.

living design Treasure wiTh new addiTions

New products made in the spirit of a designer is not necessarily piracy. Nevertheless, the market is full of inexpensive Chinese knockoffs and so-called new arrivals. Some interior design firms try to squeeze out as much as possible from designers, as if they were Disney characters for grown-ups. Piracy is a regretful phenomenon, and is sometimes presented as “licensing”. Serious design firms treat licensing with the utmost respect, however, and provide guarantees of the products’ authenticity with lables and clever invisible markings. Vintage fur-niture pieces are also sold at most auction houses, and have a cool feel to them. Not everyone likes used furniture, so prices can often be fairly reasonable. In order to really understand Arne Jacobsen’s intentions, you should visit one of the buildings he designed and decorated, or a shop that sells his furniture. Try the Egg Chair and experience the harmony found in its shape and quality – and you will know why it’s a true original.

Arne JAcobsen in numbers1924 Graduates from the royal Danish academy of Fine arts as an architect.1925 Silver medal at the art Deco Fair in Paris.1927 Visits Berlin and meets Walter Gropius and ludwig mies van der rohe. 1934 Begins his collaboration with furniture company Fritz Hansen.1935 Completes the ground-breaking residential area Bellavista in Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen.1951 The ant Chair is born.1957 Completes “The House of the Future”.1960 The SaS royal Hotel, these days known as the radisson Blu royal Hotel, is inaugurated in Copenhagen.1966 is asked to design the national Bank of Denmark’s main office in Copenhagen. 1971 arne Jacobsen passes away in Copenhagen.

“The fundamental factor is proportion, he concluded. Proportion is precisely what makes the old Greek temples beautiful... And when we look at some of the most admired buildings of the renaissance or the baroque, we notice that they are all well-proportioned. That is the essential thing.”

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Several of Arne Jacobsen's designs made their début at the hotel, and have since become classic designer objects.

The SaS royal Hotel was

constructed during the

1950s, and was called "the landmark of the

Jet age".

Copenhagen's first skyscraper,

which at the time was also

the largest hotel in all of Scandinavia.

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stone’s throw from the Copenhagen central station and the Tivoli fun fair stands the 22 stories tall Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. Previously called the SAS

Royal Hotel, it is world-famous for its Scandinavian stylishness and elegance. The light grey and green shades of the tall façade reflects the clouds, while the lower, darker grey side building originally housed SAS’s first check-in terminal.

The loBBy is well worTh a visiT

The hotel’s welcoming lobby is almost identical to its origi-nal look, and has a very Nordic feel to it. The enormous spi-ral-shaped staircase, which was a technical challenge at the time of its construction, dominates the light grey marble floor and wall panels in dark Wenge wood.

modern design hisTory in room 606

Room 606 is the only room at the Royal Hotel that still has the original décor from 1960. It’s a miniature museum and trib-ute to Arne Jacobsen and his untiring aesthetic feel. The palette consists of classic Arne Jacobsen colours in blue and green. Many aspects of the hotel’s décor have become design icons, in particular the AJ lamps. The furniture has also become famous, such as the Swan Chair and the rare Drop Chair.

To mark the 50th cel-ebration of the AJ Lamps, the original manufacturer Louis Poulsen will launch a range of lamps in five new colours. Arne Jacobsen’s own watercolour paintings served as inspiration for the palette. The five subdued colours are named after the suites and double rooms at the Roy-al Hotel in which they are currently located. In rooms 1805, 1806, 1808, 1809 and 1810, design lovers can enjoy Jacobsen’s iconic designs in a new light.

of simplicity

TheTriumph

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He has reinvigorAted our sense of luxury, from over-whelming and pretentious to a

tacit elegAnce. rooM 606 at the radisson Blu royal

Hotel in copenhagen is a tribute to simplicity.

By: Camilla Julner

Radisson Blu Royal, Copen-

hagen is world famous for its Scandinavian

stylishness.

The ant Chair. an arne Jacobsen

icon, manufactured by Fritz Hansen.

Room 606 is a miniature

museum and tribute to Arne Jacobsen and

his untiring aesthetic feel.

All renovations aimed for a typical Scandinavian style with large window sections.

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