Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971)

Arne Jacobsen, a Danish Jewish architect and designer, specialised in the "Danish Modern" style.

Among his architectural achievements are St Catherine’s College, Oxford, work at Merton College, Oxford, the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen, the Danish National Bank building in Copenhagen, as well as a number of town halls and other buildings in his native Denmark. Jacobsen created a number of highly original chairs and other furniture. He received several international distinctions and medals.

From 1927 until 1930, he worked in the architectural office of Paul Holsoe. In 1930, he established his own design office, which he headed until his death in 1971, and worked independently as an architect, interior, furniture, textile and ceramics designer. He was professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, Copenhagen, from 1956 onwards.

In 1958, Arne Jacobsen designed the Swan™ and the Egg™ Chairs for the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. These organically shaped chairs have since become synonymous with Danish furniture design throughout the world. Because of the unique shape, the Egg™ guarantees a bit of privacy in otherwise public spaces. The Egg™ chair-with or without ottoman-is ideal for lounge and waiting areas as well as the home.

His other visible contribution to pop culture in the media is his flatware design , with right- and left-handed spoons in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, picked for the film because of its "futuristic"design.