Focus on the Egg Chair

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We hear a lot about Modern Furniture and Modern Design. Most people confuse Modern with Contemporary. The term Modern is reserved for mid 20th century design the classic work of American, Scandinavian, German, and other celebrated designers and architects. Contemporary furniture and design is the current style or trend that is being manufactured or used in interiors today. If it’s great design, it may become a classic too. Only time will tell.

Arne Jacobsen was an influential Danish architect. The SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (1956-1961) is said to be his most important work. Not only did he design the building, he designed furniture, lamps, dishes and cutlery and door knobs.

He designed the “Egg” chair and the ‘Swan” for the lobbies. These ‘easy” chairs allowed guests to participate in conversations or sit back and turn away for privacy. They were considered to be the first upholstered swivel chairs. New technologies developed in the 1950’s allowed him to create single-pieced molded shells.

 

 

 

 

More than 50 years later, the Egg and Swan chairs are still manufactured by Republic of Fritz Hansen in Denmark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie set designers have reinterpreted the Egg chair for such films as Men In Black. This version doesn’t look as comfortable as the real thing!