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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
iconicon
The Nordic
Wave
His 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.
096

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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 numbers
1924 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.”
T
iconicon
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
The
Triumph
icon
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.
www.radissonblu.com/royalhotel-copenhagen