Arne Jacobsen Scandinavian Fabric Swan Armchairs for Fritz Hansen
View Similar Items
Arne Jacobsen Scandinavian Fabric Swan Armchairs for Fritz Hansen
About the Item
- Creator:Arne Jacobsen (Designer),Fritz Hansen (Manufacturer)
- Design:Swan ChairSwan Series
- Dimensions:Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)Depth: 27.17 in (69 cm)Seat Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2002
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Reggio Emilia, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3388316397822
Swan Chair
In 1958, during the golden age of air travel, Scandinavian Airline Systems tapped Arne Jacobsen (1902–71), then a notable architect both in his native Denmark and beyond, to design its SAS Royal Hotel. The 22-story building would become Copenhagen’s first skyscraper, and its interiors constitute a monument to modern design and mid-century air travel. The project became a crowning achievement for Jacobsen, who, in conceiving its architecture, interiors and furnishings — which included the elegant Swan chair — had the opportunity to produce a widely visited Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total work of art.”
As a meeting place in one of SAS’s hub cities, the hotel was, by nature, a bustling place. Jacobsen factored that into the design, creating several spaces for activities ranging from business tête-à-têtes to preflight cocktails. The Swan chair was set on a swivel base, an important attribute that offered guests the ability to become mobile participants in the hotel’s buzzy lobby, lounges and elsewhere.
When it debuted, the Swan — as well as the equally celebrated Egg chair, also created for the SAS Royal Hotel — represented a daring departure from the traditional notion of a chair. With nary a back slat or a linear armrest in sight, the curvaceous shape exemplified Jacobsen’s innovative approach. The seat, as well as its accompanying sofa, was produced by Danish manufacturer Fritz Hansen, with which Jacobsen enjoyed a long partnership. Fritz Hansen continues to produce the Swan chair today.
Despite its popularity and Jacobsen’s close relationship with American designers Charles and Ray Eames, who are considered pioneers of easily replicable furniture, the Swan is not ideal for autonomous mass production: The seat of each chair is hand-sewn by an upholsterer to carefully adhere to its shapely curves before being attached to the base, which is made of polished aluminum.
Decades later, the Swan chair continues to be a fixture in modern interiors, with its seat offered in over 30 upholstery options. In 2018, on the hotel’s 60th anniversary, Danish design firm Space Copenhagen undertook an expansive redesign of the SAS Royal Hotel, now known as the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. Jacobsen’s Swan chair, Egg chair and Drop chair feature prominently throughout the hotel’s lobby and guest rooms, paired with more contemporary furnishings and bespoke interior detailing for a new jet-set era.
Arne Jacobsen
The eye-catching work of the Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen often introduces new collectors to mid-20th century furniture. With their fluid lines and sculptural presence, Jacobsen’s signature pieces — the elegant Swan chair and the cozy-yet-cutting edge Egg chair, both first presented in 1958 — are iconic representations of both the striking aesthetic of the designers of the era and their concomitant attention to practicality and comfort. Jacobsen designed furniture that had both gravitas and groove.
Though Jacobsen is a paragon of Danish modernism, his approach to design was the least “Danish” of those who are counted as his peers. The designs of Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Børge Mogensen and others grew out of their studies as cabinetmakers. They prized skilled craftsmanship and their primary material was carved, turned and joined wood. Jacobsen was first and foremost an architect, and while he shared his colleagues’ devotion to quality of construction, he was far more open to other materials such as metal and fiberglass.
Many of Jacobsen’s best-known pieces had their origin in architectural commissions. His molded-plywood, three-legged Ant chair (1952) was first designed for the cafeteria of a pharmaceutical company headquarters. The tall-backed Oxford chair was made for the use of dons at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, whose Jacobsen-designed campus opened in 1962 (while still under construction). The Swan, Egg and Drop chairs and the AJ desk lamp were all created as part of Jacobsen’s plan for the SAS Royal Copenhagen Hotel, which opened in 1960. (The hotel has since been redecorated, but one guest room has been preserved with all-Jacobsen accoutrements.)
To Jacobsen’s mind, the chief merit of any design was practicality. He designed the first stainless-steel cutlery set made by the Danish silver company Georg Jensen; Jacobsen’s best-selling chair — the plywood Series 7 — was created to provide lightweight, stackable seating for modern eat-in kitchens. But as you will see from the objects on 1stDibs, style never took a backseat to function in Arne Jacobsen’s work. His work merits a place in any modern design collection.
Find authentic Arne Jacobsen chairs, tables, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Oxford Midcentury Black Leather Chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, 1960sBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITSet of two scandinavian midcentury modern design swivel “Oxford” office chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen and produced by Fritz Hansen with black le...Category
Antique 1660s Danish Scandinavian Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Augusto Bozzi Midcentury Fabric and Metal Armchair for Saporiti Italia 1950sBy Augusto Bozzi, SaporitiLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian Mid-Century Modern design very rare armchair designed by Augusto Bozzi for Saporiti Italia with painted metal rod frame and wooden shell upholstered in original wool fabric, ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Illum Wikkelsø Scandinavian Midcentury Dark Wood Capella Armchairs 1960sBy Illum Wikkelsø, Niels EilersenLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITCouple of scandinavian midcentury modern design original armchairs model Capella designed by Illum Wikkelsø and produced by Niels Eilersen with structure in solid dark wood and new g...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard Scandinavian Midcentury Rattan Wood Chair Armchair 1960sBy Hvidt & MølgaardLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITScandinavian armchair chair, modern antique vintage, designed by Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard with wooden frame, rattan seat and back, Denmark 1960s production. The session is original of...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRattan, Wood
- Ico Parisi Italian Midcentury Fabric Wood Armchair Model 814 for Cassina, 1960sBy Cassina, Ico ParisiLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian Mid-Century Modern design set of two armchairs model 814 designed by Ico Parisi for Cassina in 1961, solid wood structure and new fabric covering, Italy 1960s Original Cassin...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Italian Midcentury Modern Design Wood and Red Fabric Armchairs, 1950sLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITSet of two Italian Mid-Century Modern design armchairs with legs structure in solid wood and with new padding and upholstery, 1950s. Very excellent...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Purple Swan Swivel ArmchairBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the swan armchair was groundbreaking at the time and has gone on to become a true classic. The ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Svanen or Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz HansenBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Kramfors, SEArmchair Svanen by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen in Denmark. Designed during the 1958 and later introduced on SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen the year 1960. SAS Royal Hotel was the wo...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Purple Swan Swivel Armchair, Set of TwoBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the swan armchair was groundbreaking at the time and has gone on to become a true classic. The ...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Swan Chair in Leather Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, 1960sBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Kelkheim (Taunus), HEMid-Century Modern Design Classic "Swan" chair designed by Arne Jacobsen 1958 for the lounge area of ??the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The armchair has no identification of the manu...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Scandinaviaan Brown Leather Swan Chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen DenmarkBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Vienna, ATBeautiful brown leather swan lounge chairs model 3320, designed by Arne Jacobsen 1958 for the SAS Royal Copenhagen Hotel which opened in 1960. This o...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum
$4,550 Sale Price20% Off - Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Armchair Model 3207 in LeatherBy Arne Jacobsen, Fritz HansenLocated in Philadelphia, PAArne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Series 7 armchair Model 3207 newly reupholstered in a brown leather. Beautiful condition and ready to go! Original Label reattached.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Armchairs
MaterialsMetal