Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, Swan Armchair

ARNE JACOBSEN (Denmark, 1902–1971) for Fritz Hansen.
Swan Armchair. Designed in 1958.
Frame reinforced with fiberglass and polyurethane foam. Blue Fame upholstery. Swivel base in brushed cast aluminum.
Weight: 11 kg.
Measurements: 86 × 74 × 68 cm. Seat height: 40 cm.

Arne Jacobsen designed the Swan Armchair along with the Egg for the lobby and lounge areas of the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The commission, which encompassed both the building and its interior furnishings, allowed him to develop his conception of design as a holistic project, in which architecture, furniture, and decor all stemmed from a single vision.

Both models were developed in the garage of his home in Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, and have been produced by Fritz Hansen since 1958. The Swan represented a technical innovation due to its molded synthetic shell, which allowed for a continuous form dominated by curves. The cold foam padding and upholstery—in this example, blue Fame fabric—are arranged over this structure. The four-spoke swivel base combines aluminum with a central metal support.

An architect and designer, Arne Jacobsen studied for four years at the Copenhagen School of Construction before enrolling in the Faculty of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Among his most notable architectural works are St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, the SAS Hotel in Copenhagen, the headquarters of the National Bank of Denmark in the same city, and the Royal Danish Embassy in London. As a designer, he created furniture that has become iconic, including the “Ant” chair (1951) and the “Swan” and “Egg” chairs designed for the SAS Hotel. He is also known for his 1955 Model 3107 chair, also called the “Chair No. 7,” of which more than five million were sold; it appears alongside Christine Keeler in Lewis Morley’s iconic photograph. Another of his contributions to popular culture in the media is his designer cutlery set, featuring spoons for both hands, which was chosen for the film “2001: A Space Odyssey” because of its futuristic look. The key to the success of Jacobsen’s work lies in its elegant and minimalist design, and today his pieces can be found in collections such as those at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the MoMA in New York, among many others.

The Danish firm Fritz Hansen, founded in 1872, manufactures original, unique, functional, and innovative contemporary design furniture. It produces its products at its facilities north of Copenhagen, crafting each piece in close collaboration with internationally renowned designers and architects. Highlights of its collection include the Egg Chair and the Swan Chair, the Series 7 Chair, the Ant Chair, and the Oxford Chair by designer Arne Jacobsen, as well as tables and armchairs designed by the Danish designers Piet Hein and Poul Kjaerholm.