Arne Jacobsen Biography

Arne Jacobsen, Architect
Born asArne Emil Jacobsen
Occup.Architect
FromDenmark
BornFebruary 11, 1902
Copenhagen, Denmark
DiedMarch 24, 1971
Copenhagen, Denmark
CauseHeart attack
Aged69 years
Introduction
Arne Emil Jacobsen was a popular Danish architect and designer, born on February 11th, 1902, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a leader in modern Danish architecture and furniture style, with a career that covered over 4 years. Jacobsen died on March 24th, 1971, in Copenhagen and left behind a legacy that has actually considerably influenced international style and architecture.

Early Life and Education
Arne Jacobsen was born to a rich middle-class family in Copenhagen. His father, Johan Jacobsen, was a wholesale trader, while his mother, Pouline Jacobsen, was a homemaker. He inherited his creative inclinations from his mom, who was knowledgeable in floral plan and painting. He initially pursued a profession as a painter but was discouraged by his daddy, who thought that a profession in architecture would have better monetary potential customers.

Jacobsen began his architectural education at the Copenhagen Technical College, where he established a gratitude for the concepts of functionalism. He enhanced his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, under the mentorship of popular architect Kay Fisker. During his research studies, he also got insights from his trips to numerous European cities like Paris, Berlin, and Zurich.

Profession and Notable Works
Arne Jacobsen's expert profession began in the 1920s, and he gained international acknowledgment in 1925 when he won a silver medal for his modernist chair design in the Paris Art Deco Fair. This occasion marked the start of his rewarding profession in both architecture and furnishings design.

In 1929, he developed the "House of the Future" with Flemming Lassen, including a spiral staircase, a rooftop garden, and a garage for flying automobiles. This project won a competition organized by the Danish Architects Association and cemented Jacobsen's track record as a forward-thinking modernist architect.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Jacobsen developed his architectural practice and developed various property and public structures in Denmark, such as the Bellavista housing estate and Bellevue Theater. These projects showcased his dedication to functionalism and minimalism, which would become specifying elements of his design.

In the 1950s, Jacobsen started creating some of his most renowned furniture pieces that would end up being associated with mid-century Danish design. His Ant chair (1952) and the Series 7 chair (1955) remain popular to this day due to their elegant type, functionality, and convenience. The Swan and Egg chairs were developed in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, among Jacobsen's most well-known architectural tasks.

Later Life and Legacy
Throughout the 1960s, Jacobsen continued to be active both in architecture and style. His tasks expanded beyond Denmark to other countries, consisting of the United Kingdom, where he created St. Catherine's College at Oxford University. He also worked on the Danish Embassy in London and the National Bank of Denmark.

During his last years, Jacobsen continued to work on a variety of architectural tasks. He died in Copenhagen in 1971, aged 69. Although his life was cut short, Arne Jacobsen's comprehensive body of work continues to motivate architects and designers throughout the world.

In recognition of his impact on style and architecture, numerous institutions have actually honored Arne Jacobsen with awards, retrospectives, and exhibitions. His work remains a testament to his resourcefulness and passion for developing innovative, functional, and aesthetically pleasing styles. Today, a number of his furniture pieces are still in production and readily available through companies like Fritz Hansen, suggesting the enduring appeal of his design approach and vision.

Our collection contains 26 quotes who is written / told by Arne, under the main topic Architecture.

Related authors: Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: Arne Jacobsen's notable projects
    A: Some of Jacobsen's most famous projects include the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, the National Bank of Denmark building, and St. Catherine's College in Oxford, UK.
  • Q: Arne Jacobsen Ant Chair
    A: The Ant Chair is a minimalist, three-legged wooden chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1952, initially for the canteen at Danish company Novo Nordisk. It features a curved seat and backrest made from a single piece of wood, resembling an ant's body shape.
  • Q: How old was Arne Jacobsen?
    A: He became 69 years old
Source / external links:

26 Famous quotes by Arne Jacobsen

Small: Almost every time I make a building, some people will condemn it straight to Hell
"Almost every time I make a building, some people will condemn it straight to Hell"
Small: When I travel, I draw and paint sketches which is great fun. And as long as you are fully aware that it
"When I travel, I draw and paint sketches which is great fun. And as long as you are fully aware that it has nothing to do with actual art, I think that's all right"
Small: Furniture manufacturing in plastics requires very costly machinery, which the Danish market is not big
"Furniture manufacturing in plastics requires very costly machinery, which the Danish market is not big enough to justify. Or so they say. But show me a plastics manufacturer who dares to take on the experiment"
Small: But inspiration? - Thats when you come home from abroad and are asked: Well, have you found inspiration
"But inspiration? - That's when you come home from abroad and are asked: Well, have you found inspiration? - and fortunately you haven't. But the impressions sink in, of course, and may emerge later: None of us has invented the house; that was done many thousands of years ago"
Small: Proportions are what makes the old Greek temples classic in their beauty. They are like huge blocks, fr
"Proportions are what makes the old Greek temples classic in their beauty. They are like huge blocks, from which the air has been literally hewn out between the columns"
Small: In a way, the sense of quality has improved, the status symbol of the small things is gone, and it is a
"In a way, the sense of quality has improved, the status symbol of the small things is gone, and it is acceptable to use stainless steel, even if the neighbour uses silver"
Small: If a building becomes architecture, then it is art
"If a building becomes architecture, then it is art"
Small: Besides, I think that when one has been through a boarding school, especially then, you have some resis
"Besides, I think that when one has been through a boarding school, especially then, you have some resistance, because it was both fine comradeship and a fairly hard training"
Small: And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to p
"And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to pull the daylight into these very deep houses, then curtains come to play a big role in architecture"
Small: Architecture tends to consume everything else, it has become ones entire life
"Architecture tends to consume everything else, it has become one's entire life"
Small: People buy a chair, and they dont really care who designed it
"People buy a chair, and they don't really care who designed it"
Small: There is always a point when one senses ones lack of skill, the doubt
"There is always a point when one senses one's lack of skill, the doubt"
Small: That business of relaxation, which is so terribly modern today, is all good and well, but my work inter
"That business of relaxation, which is so terribly modern today, is all good and well, but my work interests me so much, and is so varied, that many times it seems relaxing when I go from one aspect to another"
Small: In addressing a task, one almost always has several possible options, sometimes only a few, and they ma
"In addressing a task, one almost always has several possible options, sometimes only a few, and they may all be practical and functional. But they lack the aesthetic aspect that raises it to architecture"
Small: If architecture had nothing to do with art, it would be astonishingly easy to build houses, but the arc
"If architecture had nothing to do with art, it would be astonishingly easy to build houses, but the architect's task - his most difficult task - is always that of selecting"
Small: Carrying out the thing, getting it to the point when one might say: There, now it is good - that point
"Carrying out the thing, getting it to the point when one might say: There, now it is good - that point is hard to reach. Often, one sets very high goals for oneself. Perhaps too high"
Small: On the other hand, I dont understand the enthusiasm for everything in the antique shop that Grandma thr
"On the other hand, I don't understand the enthusiasm for everything in the antique shop that Grandma threw out. There, the sense of quality has declined; otherwise Grandma wouldn't have thrown it out"
Small: I dont see that any buildings should be excluded from the term architecture, as long as they are done p
"I don't see that any buildings should be excluded from the term architecture, as long as they are done properly"
Small: You will soon find that I am a bit obsessive about my work. And that is a little sad, one often feels s
"You will soon find that I am a bit obsessive about my work. And that is a little sad, one often feels strangely restricted, not finding time to simmer, although one actually has many interests"
Small: The primary factor is proportions
"The primary factor is proportions"
Small: With a painter or a sculptor, one cannot begin to alter his works, but an architect has to put up with
"With a painter or a sculptor, one cannot begin to alter his works, but an architect has to put up with anything, because he makes utility objects - the building is there to be used, and times change"
Small: Now, the downside to conservation is that so much is done for the public, which almost always mars the
"Now, the downside to conservation is that so much is done for the public, which almost always mars the environment that one wanted to conserve"
Small: I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio
"I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio"
Small: I do not feel certain until I have confronted my initial solution with other solutions - although in fa
"I do not feel certain until I have confronted my initial solution with other solutions - although in fact the first solution often proves to be the right one"
Small: I am going to be working on bathroom fittings for a company in the USA, and then I thought it was appro
"I am going to be working on bathroom fittings for a company in the USA, and then I thought it was appropriate to simplify the fittings and, thus, lowering the cost"
Small: That is the artistic task: To choose the best from these solutions
"That is the artistic task: To choose the best from these solutions"