FRITZ HANSEN THE EGG
CHAIR DESIGN BY ARNE JACOBSEN 1958
With its organic,
sculptural form, the Egg is recognized as an iconic furniture design both in
Denmark and around the world, with many considering it Arne Jacobsen’s
principal design.
Together with the Swan,
the Egg was a pivotal feature in Arne Jacobsen’s acclaimed interior design of
the SAS Royal Hotel (now Radisson Collection Royal Hotel) from 1960. While the
hotel exterior is characterized by minimalist, rectilinear precision, the elaborate
total design that Arne Jacobsen created inside the hotel was a rich and diverse
environment of forms, textures and sophisticated details. When the hotel opened
in 1960, it was Copenhagen’s first skyscraper and a significant architectural
addition to the area around Copenhagen’s Central Station. Over time, the Egg
has attained at least the same iconic status as the famous hotel itself.
The development of the
chairs for the SAS Royal Hotel was based on a new technological approach.
Instead of a steel frame and wood, the chairs were shaped in a hard foam
material that was subsequently padded and upholstered. Furniture manufacturer
Fritz Hansen secured the rights for this method in the mid 1950s, and Arne
Jacobsen was the first designer to realize its full potential. In his
development of the Ant during the early 1950s, Arne Jacobsen had begun to use
plaster and clay in an experimental design process. Like a sculptor, he used
these malleable materials to work out the characteristic shape of the Egg, creating
a design with a harmonious sculptural expression that immediately earned it a
central place in design history.
Sandor Perjesi (born
1940), model maker in Arne Jacobsen’s studio, recalls the time he worked with
Arne Jacobsen on the Egg: ‘I remember the first time we went to a summer
cottage near Tissø to work on the Egg. We crammed the plaster model into my car
and spent an entire weekend adding and filing off material. Back and forth,
like classic sculpting.’
ARNE JACOBSEN & FRITZ
HANSEN
The collaboration between
Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen is one of the most significant and famous
partnerships in Danish design history. It began as early as during the 1930s,
when Fritz Hansen produced Arne Jacobsen’s functionalist furniture designs for
Bellevue Theatre, among other projects. At this time, Fritz Hansen’s main focus
was on furniture in moulded wood and tubular steel, based on German
inspiration, which is also reflected in the designs Fritz Hansen produced for
Arne Jacobsen.
The 1950s marks the
zenith of the partnership. During time, Fritz Hansen and Arne Jacobsen
developed the technology to produce his groundbreaking shell chairs in moulded
plywood. The Ant from 1952 was the first of its kind, a chair with a seat and
back made from a single sheet of moulded plywood. It was followed by Series 7,
the Tongue, the Munkegaard chair, the T chair and the Lily. In the mid 1950s,
Fritz Hansen acquired the licence to a production technology that made it
possible to shape furniture freely in hard foam. Arne Jacobsen used this method
to create organic furniture for the SAS Royal Hotel. The Egg and the Swan
became hugely popular, and today they are recognized as iconic furniture
designs, both in Denmark and around the world.
From the 1950s on, Fritz
Hansen was the supplier for all of Arne Jacobsen’s major architectural
projects. The Munkegaard School, Rødovre Town Hall, SAS Royal Hotel, St.
Catherine’s College in Oxford and the City Hall in Mainz, Germany, were all
furnished with custom-designed furniture created by Arne Jacobsen and produced
by Fritz Hansen. He also developed several table series for the company: the
Camping tables, the B6 series and column tables, which were put into production
during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s, Arne Jacobsen also created furniture
designs for Fritz Hansen that were not designed for a particular architectural
project but for the company’s general product selection. This includes chairs
such as Oksen (the Oxe), the TV chair and Vippestolen (Tilt chair), which were
not very commercially successful. Today, Fritz Hansen continues to manufacture
many of Arne Jacobsen’s most famous and popular designs, and others are
continually being relaunched.
https://arnejacobsen.com/collaborators/fritz-hansen/
.png)
.png)
REPUBLIC OF FRITZ HANSEN
1872
The history of Fritz
Hansen begins in 1872, where the enterprising cabinet maker Fritz Hansen
obtains a trade license in Copenhagen. 1885 is a decisive year for the Nakskov
native and he opens a furniture production company in his own name. Just two
years later, his workshop in Christianshavn is thriving. From here, Fritz and
his son Christian create high-quality furniture that will continue to define
Fritz Hansen in the future.
The first fifty years of
the company are defined by a long list of prestigious contracts that include
producing furniture for the Danish Parliament and Supreme Court at
Christiansburg Palace, the University Library, Copenhagen City Hall and other
significant institutions.
1930
At the turn of the century,
Fritz’s forward-thinking son, Christian, begins to experiment with
steam-bending techniques. During this decade, the technique is refined to make
Fritz Hansen a world leader in moulded and laminate wood furniture.
Looking to German
Functionalism, Scandinavian design comes into its own with a lighter, more
practical approach that profiles clean lines and function.
Fritz Hansen launches the
very first Danish steel furniture as well as the iconic Church chair by Kaare
Klint, which remains in the Fritz Hansen collection until 2004.
1940
Despite the hardships
brought by the Second World War, Fritz Hansen expands its factory.
A bitter winter causes
many of Denmark’s walnut trees to die back, but the industrious Fritz Hansen
stockpiles wood and introduces a new furniture series in the beautiful
material. It is lauded by the press and becomes an instant success.
In 1944, architect and
designer Hans. J. Wegner creates his first icon for Fritz Hansen. The China
Chair™ is a sculptural celebration of wood and the finest craftsmanship. A year
later, Børge Mogensen creates the Spoke-back sofa. Ahead of its time, it is
first put into production years later, re-introduced as the most Danish of all
sofas.
1950
Arne Jacobsen dominates
the scene at Fritz Hansen. Despite a collaboration spanning almost two decades,
Jacobsen’s breakthrough comes with the introduction of the Ant™ chair – a predecessor
to his phenomenally successful Series 7™ chair.
Jacobsen drew inspiration
for the design from Hvidt & Mølgaard’s pressure moulded AX chair and the
introduction of the wood veneer technique marks a new milestone in the brand’s
history. Jacobsen goes on to create the iconic Egg™ and Swan™ chairs for the
SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, as well as the sleek and architectural Series
3300™ lounge chair for its SAS Terminal.
In 1955, Verner Panton
creates the Bachelor chair in bent steel.
1960
In 1963, Fritz Hansen’s production facilities in Allerød, north of Copenhagen, are expanded with three factory halls. In 1965, administration moves from Christianshavn to the newly renovated buildings in Allerød, which also house a showroom.
A collaboration between Bruno Mathsson and Piet Hein, the democratic Superellipse™ table with no distinct ends becomes one of Fritz Hansen’s greatest successes. Equally successful is the re-introduction of Børge Mogensen’s Spoke-back sofa and Hans Wegner’s China Chair™. Arne Jacobsen’s designs also dominate this period.
1970
This decade brings great
changes at Fritz Hansen. On the first working day of 1979, Fritz Hansen
announces that the 107-year-old company will no longer remain in the hands of
the family and sells 75% of its shares to Skandinavisk Holding.
Verner Panton, the enfant
terrible of Danish design, leads the avant-garde movement, provoking and
inspiring in the service of Fritz Hansen. His prominent role results in
flattering remarks from the press. Fritz Hansen guides interest back to Arne
Jacobsen and classic designs and the effort pays dividends a few years later.
1980
Through substantial
investments and comprehensive reforms, Skandinavisk Holding succeeds in
strengthening and future-proofing Fritz Hansen.
During the 1983 furniture
expo at Copenhagen’s trade fair and convention centre, Bella Center, an
exhibition consisting solely of new Fritz Hansen designs becomes a convincing
manifestation of the brand’s position as Denmark’s leading furniture manufacturer.
Fritz Hansen acquires the
rights to the Kjærholm Collection of furniture, designed by Poul Kjærholm
between 1951 and 1980. The acquisition of the Kevi collection and Munch Møbler
results in increased sales and renewed interest in Fritz Hansen.
1990
Expansion is a keyword in
the Nineties. Here, Fritz Hansen focuses primarily on five areas: the dining
room, the conference room, resting/waiting areas, office spaces and the private
home.
In 1998, Jacob Holm
becomes CEO, charged with transforming Fritz Hansen from a production company
to a global brand with firm focus on the end-consumer.
In 1999, a
ground-breaking new factory in Vassingerød is inaugurated, increasing
production capacity dramatically. A showroom and museum displaying the brand’s
long and rich legacy open to visitors.
2000
The introduction of
Republic of Fritz Hansen™ in 2000 marks a strategic change for the brand,
conveying the importance of furniture as an expression of individuality in
professional and private settings.
The 00s also see new
designers invited to the fold to interpret Fritz Hansen’s design philosophy
through a contemporary lens. The Ice™ series and Little Friend™ by Kasper Salto
introduce new materials and multifunctional designs to the collection, while
Piero Lissoni and Cecilie Manz produce inviting designs that attract new
end-consumers.
Simultaneously, the
decade focuses on ensuring classic designs remain relevant, revitalising
existing pieces such as Arne Jacobsen’s Oxford™ chair to modern sensibilities.
2010
Fritz Hansen’s looks to
both the contract and retail market, showcasing furniture for use in private as
well as public spaces.
In 2011, Fritz Hansen
enters a collaboration with the acclaimed Spanish designer, Jaime Hayon. The
result is beautiful, comfortable and sculptural furniture and elegant and
functional accessories.
Under the moniker 60
Years in Perfect Shape, 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of Arne Jacobsen’s
iconic Series 7™ chair.
Fritz Hansen acquires the
Danish lighting company Lightyears.
In 2016, the brand
introduces Objects, a collection of accessories. Under the tagline
‘Complementing your life,’ Objects invites new customers inside with beautiful
yet more affordable items.
https://www.fritzhansen.com/en/about-us/our-story/heritage-timeline
.png)
THE LIFE OF ARNE JACOBSEN
Visionary ideas and an
uncompromising approach to architecture and design characterize the life and
work of Arne Jacobsen.
For six decades, Arne
Jacobsen was at the forefront of Danish architecture and design. Working as
both architect, furniture designer, industrial designer and landscape
architect, he made contributions to the world of design that remain as
significant today as they were in his lifetime.
Few Danish architects are
as widely known and admired, both in Denmark and around the world, as Arne
Jacobsen (1902-1971). Over six decades, he left his mark on the world of
architecture and design and earned his place as one of most significant figures
in Danish design history.
In his work, Arne
Jacobsen was often ahead of his time. With a talent for finding and adopting
new solutions, he repeatedly showed a keen ability to anticipate future trends
and developments. Over time, his name has come to epitomize simple, iconic
forms and the marriage of aesthetics and function.
One consistent
characteristic of Arne Jacobsen’s work is the combination of architecture and
design. In projects such as the SAS Royal Hotel (1960) and St. Catherine’s
College in Oxford (1964), he not only created the architecture but also
designed every last detail of the interiors, making each project
a gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art. From Arne Jacobsen’s studio flowed
furniture, lamps, patterns, clocks, cutlery and glassware that were both
independent designs and part of the holistic expressions that Arne Jacobsen
aimed for.
THE YOUNG ARNE JACOBSEN
As a young man, Arne
Jacobsen dreamed of becoming an artist. However, when his father opposed that
idea, Arne Jacobsen chose instead to enroll in the Royal Danish Academy of Fine
Arts, School of Architecture in 1924. This was where he created his first
furniture designs. Throughout his life, the paint brush, pen and camera would
play an important role for Arne Jacobsen and remained important tools in his
creative process.
In 1927, Arne Jacobsen
married Marie Jelstrup Holm. Together, they had the sons Johan and Niels.
During the 1930s, Arne and Marie went on several trips around Europe. In
watercolours and experimental photographs, he gave his ideas visual form and
captured impressions from the world around him. Details from new and old works
of architecture and the abundance and diversity of nature were a rich source of
fascination and inspiration to him. The inspiration from wild nature is most
directly recognizable in the textile patterns he created during the 1940s, but
many of his furniture designs too show the influence of nature in their free,
organic shapes.
THE MODERNIST
Arne Jacobsen’s curiosity
about the world was an important driver of his creative process. Early in his
career he was involved in bringing modernism to Denmark and shaping a
particular Danish functionalist expression that combined new architectural and design ideas with the Danish craft
tradition and grasp of material qualities. Around 1930, this was manifested in
works of architecture such as House of the Future (with Flemming Lassen, 1929),
the housing development Bellavista (1934), Bellevue Theatre (1936) corporate
facilities for Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium (1937) and the paint shop Stelling
House (1937).
A few years later, in 1942,
Arne Jacobsen completed no less than two city halls: Aarhus City Hall in
collaboration with Erik Møller and Søllerød Town Hall (today: Rudersdal Town
Hall) in collaboration with Flemming Lassen. In both buildings the architects
created a comprehensive total design of the interior dominated by soft shapes
with wood, brass and leather as the main materials. They designed all the
furniture, lamps, bathroom fittings and other details, right down to the lift
buttons and a special typeface for each house.
-- Early in his career he was involved in bringing modernism to Denmark and shaping a particular Danish functionalist expression that combined new architectural and design ideas with the Danish craft tradition and grasp of material qualities. --
SWEDISH EXILE
Arne Jacobsen met Jonna Jacobsen (née Møller) (1908-1995) during his work on Søllerød Town Hall (1942). As a trained textile printer, she was responsible for producing the textiles for the town hall. They married in 1943. Jonna and Arne Jacobsen were not just husband and wife but also had a professional and creative partnership, as Jonna helped Arne turn his botanical studies and watercolours into textile pattern designs. Like many other Danes of Jewish descent, Arne Jacobsen had to flee Denmark in 1943 and go into exile in Sweden. Here, his textile patterns were put into production when the two initiated a collaboration with the Swedish department store Nordiska Kompaniet.
-- The inspiration from
wild nature is most directly recognizable in the textile patterns he created
during the 1940s, but many of his furniture designs too show the influence of
nature in their free, organic shapes. --
A PASSION FOR BOTANY
Arne Jacobsen had a
lifelong passion for botany and his private garden functioned as both a refuge and
a laboratory. At Strandvejen 413, where he lived and had his studio from 1951,
he established a densely packed botanical garden with more than 300 different
species of plants. Here, he spent countless hours tending to the plants and
studying their appearance. His plant studies were an important source of
inspiration and he often brought pen and paintbrush or his camera to document
colors, textures, shapes and patterns.
Arne Jacobsen’s pronounced sensibility to the surrounding landscape was reflected in his works of architecture. For private clients he created detailed garden plans and several of his large, public projects also included artistic garden and landscape designs. Projects such as the Munkegaard School (1957) and St. Catherine’s College in Oxford clearly reflect Arne Jacobsen’s ambition of framing the rich diversity of nature in overarching lines, figures and patterns and creating a close interplay of architecture and nature.
INTERNATIONAL
BREAKTHROUGH
After the Second World
War, Arne Jacobsen made a name for himself both in Denmark and around the
world, thanks in great part to projects such as the housing development Søholm
(1951) and the Munkegaard School, with their yellow brickwork, oblique lines
and innovative ground plans. With Rødovre Town Hall (1955) and SAS Royal Hotel,
Arne Jacobsen represented a more internationally oriented architecture
characterized by materials such as steel, glass and aluminium. Combining a new
rational aesthetic with classic, living materials, his architecture maintained
a humane feel despite its stringent expression. In Rødovre Town Hall, he
combined light glass facades with end-walls clad in natural Solvåg marble and
the interiors of the SAS Royal Hotel welcomed its guests with a wealth of
materials, shapes and colours that softened the architecture’s taut stringency.
In 1964, Arne Jacobsen
completed his first major project abroad: St. Catherine’s College in Oxford.
Arne Jacobsen’s successful incorporation of the historical traditions of the
Oxford Colleges – English university environments combining lecture halls and
student rooms, some of them with buildings dating back to the 13th century – in
an architectural solution based on contemporary ideals and a painstakingly
executed comprehensive design programme makes St. Catherine’s College one of
Arne Jacobsen’s principal works.
-- Combining a new
rational aesthetic with classic, living materials, his architecture maintained
a humane feel despite its stringent expression. --
THE FURNITURE DESIGNER
During the 1950s, Arne Jacobsen had his major breakthrough as a furniture designer. Together with furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen, in 1952 he developed the Ant, a stacking chair with a seat and back moulded from a single sheet of plywood. The chair marked a technical and stylistic breakthrough. Arne Jacobsen used clay and plaster in his development of the unique form, and it took Fritz Hansen’s technical experts a year to overcome the technical challenges. The Swan and Egg chairs were presented in 1958, two years before they became famous as part of the interior of the SAS Royal Hotel. Here too, Arne Jacobsen used modern technology to create a brand new type of chair, shaped in a free artistic process.
Tapping into the potential of prefabrication and serial manufacturing he set out to create functional, beautiful and more affordable design.
THE FINAL YEARS
Arne Jacobsen never
stopped developing. Tapping into the potential of prefabrication and serial
manufacturing he set out to create functional, beautiful and more affordable
design. In creating his tableware series Cylinda Line (1967), Arne Jacobsen
initially used standard steel tubes in an effort to design a series that could
compete with the more traditional but very expensive silver hollowware. During
the 1960s he created several designs based on the notion of identical, often
geometric basic modules that could be combined in a variety of ways and thus
adapted to the individual user. Examples include the standard house Kubeflex
(1970) and the VOLA series of taps and accessories (1969). In the 1960s, this
was a novel concept, which Arne Jacobsen, sadly, was not able to manifest fully
before his death, at the age of 69, on 24 March 1971 in his home on Strandvejen
413.
At the time of his death,
Arne Jacobsen was working on a range of major projects, both in Denmark and
abroad. Arne Jacobsen was able to see the first stage of the National Bank of
Denmark completed in 1971 and during the 1970s, a range of planned projects were
realized by his partners, Hans Dissing (1926-1998) and Otto Weitling (b. 1930),
who continued Arne Jacobsen’s firm under the name Dissing+Weitling.
https://arnejacobsen.com/life/biography/
