Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971) is the most internationally recognised figure in Danish design history. His furniture — the Ant, the Series 7, the Egg and the Swan, all produced by Fritz Hansen — has been in continuous production since the 1950s and is present in homes, offices and institutions on every continent. He was, simultaneously, one of Denmark’s most prolific architects: a designer who understood buildings and objects as expressions of the same discipline.
Architect First
Jacobsen trained as an architect at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1927. His early career established him as a significant figure in Danish modernism: housing projects in Copenhagen, suburban villas, civic buildings. He was deeply influenced by the work of Gunnar Asplund, whom he encountered at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition, and by the Bauhaus integration of architecture, product design and graphic work. His architectural output continued throughout his life, running in parallel with his furniture design rather than subordinate to it.
The Ant — A Chair from a Single Sheet
The Ant chair (1952), designed for Fritz Hansen, established the formal and technical approach that would define Jacobsen’s furniture work. Produced from a single sheet of moulded plywood on a three-legged steel base, the Ant was among the first chairs to apply the moulded plywood techniques developed by Charles and Ray Eames to serial production in Europe. Its waisted form — the characteristic narrowing at the lumbar — gives the silhouette its name and its structural integrity. The Ant sold in extraordinary numbers and spawned the Series 7, a four-legged development that became the world’s most produced chair.
The SAS Royal Hotel — A Total Work
The SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (1960) is the fullest expression of Jacobsen’s Gesamtkunstwerk approach. He designed not only the building — a glazed tower that was Copenhagen’s first high-rise — but every element of its interior: furniture, textiles, cutlery, door handles, ashtrays, signage. The Egg and Swan chairs were designed specifically for the hotel’s lobby and public spaces. Both pieces — organically formed, fully upholstered, on swivel bases — represented a significant formal departure from the structural logic of the Ant and Series 7. They have since become among the most reproduced furniture designs of the twentieth century.
Egg and Swan — Organic Modernism
The Egg chair (1958) is a fully enclosed form: a fibreglass shell upholstered in fabric or leather, mounted on a four-star aluminium swivel base. Its enclosing geometry creates a degree of acoustic and visual privacy unusual in a lobby chair — a spatial quality as much as a formal one. The Swan (1958) applies a similar logic at a smaller scale: a two-seater or single chair whose organic shell sits on the same swivel base. Both pieces required significant technical development to achieve their finished form and remain among the most labour-intensive pieces in the Fritz Hansen collection.
Cylinda Line and Product Design
Beyond furniture, Jacobsen designed the Cylinda Line tableware series for Stelton in 1967 — a range of stainless steel jugs, bowls and serving pieces unified by a strict cylindrical geometry. The series demonstrated that his formal intelligence was not limited to furniture and architecture but extended to everyday objects. Cylinda Line remains in production and is among the most collected Scandinavian product design series
Legacy
Jacobsen died in Copenhagen in 1971. His furniture is produced by Fritz Hansen to this day, with the Ant and Series 7 selling in volumes that few designed objects have matched. His architecture — including St Catherine’s College Oxford (1966) and the National Bank of Denmark — continues to be studied and published internationally. He received the highest honours available to a Danish designer and architect, and his influence on the generation that followed him — in Denmark and across Scandinavia — was pervasive.
More design from Arne Jacobsen:
Little Giraffe™ by Arne Jacobsen: Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen has launched Little Giraffe™, a previously unreleased prototype designed by Arne Jacobsen in …
Series 7 Tailored — Arne Jacobsen’s Icon Reinvented by Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen presents the Series 7 Tailored A crafted version of the iconic plywood chair, …
Series 7™ Chair with Limited Morning Light Collection | Fritz Hansen
To celebrate seven decades of Arne Jacobsen’s iconic chair, Fritz Hansen is releasing limited edition …
Arne Jacobsen lamp in Black & Warm Grey – Louis Poulsen
Shine on with Arne Jacobsen In the spring of 2025, exquisite new editions of the …
7:14 AM is Fritz Hansen’s new colour palette inspired by the Danish morning light for the Series 7™ chair by Arne Jacobsen
During 2025 Fritz Hansen is celebrating seven decades of the Series 7 chair, a Danish …
AJ Mini Anniversary Edition design by Arne Jacobsen – Louis Poulsen
AJ Mini Anniversary Edition A beautiful, petite table lamp, that provides soft, warm downward directed …
Grand Prix™ chair special editions by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
A BOLD NEW LOOK Fritz Hansen proudly presents Grand Prix™ Editions – a curated range …
AJ Garden bollard lamp by Arne Jacobsen – Louis Poulsen
AJ Garden Bollard This outdoor lamp emits a pleasant fully shaded downward directed, glare-free light. …
Fritz Hansen proudly presents a special edition of the stylish Swan™ chair by Arne Jacobsen
FRITZ HANSEN CHOICE 2024 Fritz Hansen proudly presents a special edition of the stylish Swan™ …
AJ Trolley™ now in walnut by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
The AJ Trolley™ is an authentic piece of Danish design heritage now available in walnut …
Fritz Hansen is releasing a limited production of 150 Egg chairs
Introducing The Collector’s Edition Egg Chair On November 1st Fritz Hansen is releasing a limited …
Little ones design by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
GOOD DESIGN IS FOR EVERY AGE Introduce the little ones to a lifetime of beautiful, …
New colour palette of the AJ Lamp Family by Arne Jacobsen – Louis Poulsen
Fresh new colours The new colour palette for the AJ Lamp family is a subtle …
Architect Arne Jacobsen’s 1935 St. Catherine Bench Returns Through Sika Design
In spring 2023, Sika Design launched the garden bench St. Catherine. St Catherine is an …
Special Edition Egg chair Homage to Arne Jacobsen | Fritz Hansen
The F.H. Choice 2023 pays homage to Arne Jacobsen with an exclusive special edition of …
Presenting front upholstery for the Ant™ chair by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
A legendary design gets a softer upgrade Designed in 1952 by Arne Jacobsen for the …
Louis Poulsen Reintroduces AJ Oxford Table Lamp by Arne Jacobsen
Reintroducing AJ Oxford. It was originally designed for St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, England in …
FH3605™ Writing Desk, the table leg by Arne Jacobsen in 1955 – Fritz Hansen
HOME OFFICE DESK THE HYBRID WORKSPACE The FH3605™ or “Writing Desk”, in Arne Jacobsen’s own …
Arne Jacobsen’s summerhouse @ Trapholt museum
A major attraction for all those who are interested in design and architecture. Many are …
Arne Jacobsen Bellevue Floor Lamp New Finishes by &Tradition
Bellevue AJ7 design Arne Jacobsen, 120th Anniversary edition This graceful lamp shines a light on …
Arne Jacobsen Dot stool limited edition – Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen x Fragment Fritz Hansen presents a limited edition of Arne Jacobsen’s iconic DOT™ …
Fritz Hansen Anniversary Collection Forever New
How do you introduce something that needs no introduction? To commemorate Fritz Hansen’s first 150 …
Ant Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen
The Ant™ Celebrating 70 years of expressive design The Ant™ chair’s visual expression is imaginative …
Fritz Hansen relaunched Arne Jacobsen’s Egg table
The Egg table relaunched Fritz Hansen relaunched Arne Jacobsen’s Egg table. With its three slender, …
Fritz Hansen’s 150th anniversary
VERSATILE BEAUTY Original design from Arne Jacobsen to elevate modern spaces. When Arne Jacobsen first …
Fritz Hansen’s Drop™ Chair by Arne Jacobsen, is updated in contemporary colours
Fritz Hansen’s Drop™ Chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen, is updated in contemporary colours and with …
Arne Jacobsen – Designing Denmark @ Trapholt until 15 August 2021
Trapholt presents the most comprehensive Arne Jacobsen exhibition in recent times. It is a sensory …
Travel as a tool @ Vandalorum
27 March – 19 September is a joint Nordic exhibition that considers the significance of …
Egg chair in Re-wool by Fritz Hansen
NATURAL INSPIRATION THE EGG™ CHAIR IN RE-WOOL Timeless design by Arne Jacobsen in a sustainable …
SAS Royal Hotel – A love story is an intuitive, playful and tactile exhibition
The SAS Royal Hotel – now the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel – is one of …
AJ Table Mini & Special Edition – Louis Poulsen
The AJ Family Arne Jacobsen designed the AJ Lamp for the SAS Royal Hotel in …
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the opening of the SAS Royal Hotel
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16 new colours for iconic Arne Jacobsen seating by Carla Sozzani
A SENSE OF COLOUR Introducing 16 new colours for iconic Arne Jacobsen seating, created by …
Arne Jacobsen 60th anniversary of the SAS Royal Hotel
Louis Poulsen is reintroducing the original AJ Table Mini and the AJ Royal in 2020 …
Arne Jacobsen – 60 års jubilæum Webinar (Danish)
Arne Jacobsen designede AJ Lampen til SAS Royal Hotel i 1957. I dag betegnes serien …
The AJ Trolley – A companion table by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
A COMPANION TABLE An Arne Jacobsen original designed with elegance and broad function The AJ …
Lily™ 50th Anniversary Edition – Fritz Hansen
LUXURY LIVES ON The 50th Anniversary Edition of Arne Jacobsen’s luxurious Lily™ chair. On the …
Lily™ Chair in Walnut by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
LUXURY LIVES ON On the 50th anniversary of the design, Fritz Hansen introduces the Lily™ …
Ant™ by Arne Jacobsen Deco Silhouette – Fritz Hansen
Introducing Arne Jacobsen’s signature stacking chair – Ant™ – for the first time in print …
A Drop™ of colour – Fritz Hansen
Sometimes all it needs is a drop of colour to breathe new life into a …
The Little Giraffe™ – Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen proudly presents the Little Giraffe™ designed by Arne Jacobsen. The original Giraffe chair …
See how the Fritz Hansen 60th Anniversary Edition Egg Chair is made
Fritz Hansen celebrated the 60th anniversary of Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair with a special anniversary …
The POT™ Chair by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
Contemporary 50s design from Arne Jacobsen THE POT™ CHAIR We are pleased to reintroduce the …
The bold Oksen™ by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
Arne Jacobsen surprised design connoisseurs all over the world when he first introduced Oksen in …
Grand Prix™ Table by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
The grand re-introduction of Arne Jacobsen’s Grand Prix™ Table 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of …
The Legends of Danish Design @ Pushkin State Museum
Legends of Danish design 12.04.2017 – 11.06.2017 On April 12, 2017 “The Legends of Danish …
Sense of colour – Louis Poulsen
Louis Poulsen is honouring Arne Jacobsen and celebrating the 60th anniversary of his iconic design …
Special edition 7™ – Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen’s Choice 2017 – the Series 7™ Blossoms in New, Soft Hues Fritz Hansen’s …
Super-Elliptical Table Series – Fritz Hansen™
THE ORIGINAL DEMOCRATIC TABLE GET A MODERN HIGH-TECH MAKEOVER Fritz Hansen has revitalised the Table …
Table Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson & Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
Table Series is Fritz Hansen’s vision to create a modern dining table enriched by its …
The Danish Chair @ Design Museum Danmark
The Danish Chair is a wunderkammer of chairs. In the exhibition, Designmuseum Danmark tells the …
Arne Jacobsen & SAS Royal Hotel – Fritz Hansen™
The year 2010 the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen is celebrating their 50th anniversary. We …
The Drop designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 in new colours – Fritz Hansen
The Drop in new colours The popular chair comes in two new colours; Burgundy red …
The Ant™ designed by Arne Jacobsen in new colours – Fritz Hansen
The Ant™ 9 new colours interpreted by Danish artist Tal R. The Drop™ chair was …
Oxford™ A remake of a classic by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
Oxford™ – A remake of a classic Republic of Fritz Hansen has created a revitalization …
Oxford Premium™ by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen™
Oxford Premium™ is an elegant and iconic re-launch of the classic Oxford™ chair by Arne …
Limited edition of the Swan chair – Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen presents a limited edition of the Swan™ chair with a production run of …
7 Cool Architects, a chair and few rules – Fritz Hansen
When Fritz Hansen invited 7 internationally well-known architects to interpret the Series 7™ into new …
60 years in perfect shape. Series 7™ – Fritz Hansen
60 years in perfect shape More than any other designer, Arne Jacobsen pioneered the concept …
Copenhagen Room 506 by Jaime Hayon – Fritz Hansen
Introducing Room 506 Together with the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel also known as the iconic …
The inspiration for this Egg™ derives from Arne Jacobsen’s use of classic bluish colour tones – Fritz Hansen
Egg™ – Fritz Hansen Choice 2014 The inspiration for this Egg™ derives from Arne Jacobsen’s …
Grand Prix™ in wooden legs design by Arne Jacobsen in 1957 – Fritz Hansen
Grand Prix™ The Grand Prix™ Chair was designed by the Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen in …
The Drop chair by Arne Jacobsen – Fritz Hansen
The Drop™ chair was designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 as part of his masterpiece, …
Mayor sofa by Arne Jacobsen & Flemming Lassen – &tradition
In record time &tradition has launched a wide range of designs, both new and reissues. …
Celebrating 50 years of a design by Arne Jacobsen – Louis Poulsen
Louis Poulsen commemorates the 50-year anniversary of Arne Jacobsen’s iconic AJ lamps with the launch …
The Golden Egg 50th Anniversary in Limited Edition by Arne Jacobsen
The world famous Egg chair designed by Danish Architect Arne Jacobsen in 1958 and manufactured …
Louis Poulsen has developed an outdoor fixture that stays true to the design and lighting idea of Arne Jacobsen
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of the AJ family Louis Poulsen has developed …
Absolutely Modern Louisiana Museum of Modern Art salutes Arne Jacobsen
It’s a modern classic – and a classic modern! – that is the subject of …
Arne Jacobsen 100 Years – Centenary Package
Arne Jacobsen, architect and designer – would have turned 100 this year 2002 marks the …
Swan sofa by Arne Jacobsen is now being relaunched
WELCOME BACK TO ARNE JACOBSEN’S SWAN SOFA! After 25 years of hibernation, the Swan sofa …
Arne Jacobsen — Danish Designer Behind the Egg and Swan
Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971) is the most internationally recognised figure in Danish design history. His furniture …
Photo: Aage Strüwings