Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen

ARNE JACOBSEN (Denmark, 1902–1971) for LOUIS POULSEN
Pair of “AJ Royal” pendant lamps, designed in 1958.
Brass and smoked-colored acrylic.
Work referenced in Michael Sheridan, *Room 606 – The SAS House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen*, Phaidon Press Limited, 2003, pp. 152–153.
Measurements: 22 x 22 x 22 cm.

The AJ Royal lamp was created as part of one of Arne Jacobsen’s most ambitious projects: the comprehensive design of the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, built for Scandinavian Airlines and opened in 1960. Jacobsen did not limit himself to designing the building; he conceived virtually all of its interiors—from the furniture to the textiles, accessories, and lighting fixtures—creating a true Gesamtkunstwerk. The lamp was used in various spaces throughout the hotel. The first versions, made of copper, illuminated the tables in the snack bar located behind the atrium, the first-floor lounge, and the Panorama Lounge on the 21st floor. Its design was intended to provide functional downward lighting, while the upper openings allowed a softer light to escape, creating an ambient atmosphere.The choice of such a minimalist form is particularly significant within the architecture of the SAS Royal. The 22-story building was conceived by Jacobsen with clear inspiration from New York skyscrapers, while its interiors introduced a refined and deeply Danish interpretation of modernism.
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 Danish 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 Model 3107 chair from 1955, also called the “Chair No. 7,” of which more than five million were sold; it starred alongside Christine Keeler in the iconic film.