 The Egg Chair | |
| Designer | Arne Jacobsen |
|---|---|
| Date | 1959 |
| Materials | Steel frame, fabric cover |
| Style / tradition | Modernist |
| Sold by | Fritz Hansen (Denmark) |
| Height | 107 cm (42 in) |
| Width | 87 cm (34 in) |
| Depth | 79–95 cm (31–37 in) |
The Egg is a chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1959 for the SAS Royal Hotel hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is manufactured by Republic of Fritz Hansen.
The Egg was designed in a typical Jacobsen style, using state-of-the-art material.
It is believed to be inspired by Eero Saarinen's "Womb chair", from which it borrows some traits.
Related to the Egg is the Swan chair and, to some degree, many of Jacobsen's plywood chairs such as "7", the Ant, the Cigar, the Grand Prix-chair, the Pot, the Drop and the Giraffe.
The Egg (like the Swan) was also designed as a couch. While the Swan couch is still in production, only a handful of Egg couches have ever been made. A few were made for the Radisson Hotel, and a few years back[ when? ], some were made as a "special edition" couch. The price was quite high—about 400,000 DKK, the equivalent of roughly US$75,000.
The reason for the limited production of the Egg couch, besides the wish for exclusivity, is the difficulty involved in making it, plus a design flaw: the couch is too big to be covered by two entire cow-hides, which is only just possible with the Egg-chair. This leaves a very visible stitching down the middle of the couch. This problem can, however, be solved by making the upholstery in fabric rather than leather.
According to an article in The New York Times , [1] the Egg chair has also been used by McDonald's as part of a high-concept redesign of one of its restaurants in London. Furthermore, The Egg is in a McDonald's restaurant in Nørrebrogade, Copenhagen, among other furniture by Arne Jacobsen, although some are imitations. [2]
It was used as the diary room chair in the first UK series of "Big Brother".
The newly renovated Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport features the Egg in its boarding area. [3]
Arne Emil Jacobsen, Hon. FAIA was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to architectural functionalism and for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple well-designed chairs.
Hans Jørgensen Wegner was a Danish furniture designer. His work, along with a concerted effort from several of his manufacturers, contributed to the international popularity of mid-century Danish design. His style is often described as Organic Functionality, a modernist school with emphasis on functionality. This school of thought arose primarily in Scandinavian countries with contributions by Poul Henningsen, Alvar Aalto, and Arne Jacobsen.
Verner Panton is considered one of Denmark's most influential 20th-century furniture and interior designers. During his career, he created innovative and futuristic designs in a variety of materials, especially plastics, and in vibrant and exotic colors. His style was very "1960s" but regained popularity at the end of the 20th century. As of 2004, Panton's best-known furniture models are still in production.
Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was popular in the United States and Europe from roughly 1945 to 1969, during the United States's post–World War II period. The term was used descriptively as early as the mid-1950s and was defined as a design movement by Cara Greenberg in her 1984 book Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s. It is now recognized by scholars and museums worldwide as a significant design movement. The MCM design aesthetic is modern in style and construction, aligned with the Modernist movement of the period. It is typically characterized by clean, simple lines and honest use of materials, and it generally does not include decorative embellishments.
The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen is a historic hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Danish design is a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in mid-20th century. Influenced by the German Bauhaus school, many Danish designers used the new industrial technologies, combined with ideas of simplicity and functionalism to design buildings, furniture and household objects, many of which have become iconic and are still in use and production. Prominent examples are the Egg chair, the PH lamps and the Sydney Opera House (Australia).
Danish modern is a style of minimalist furniture and housewares from Denmark associated with the Danish design movement. In the 1920s, Kaare Klint embraced the principles of Bauhaus modernism in furniture design, creating clean, pure lines based on an understanding of classical furniture craftsmanship coupled with careful research into materials, proportions, and the requirements of the human body.
The Swan is a lounge chair and sofa designed by Arne Jacobsen in the Danish modern style in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. It is manufactured by Danish furniture manufacturer Republic of Fritz Hansen.
Fritz Hansen, also known as Republic of Fritz Hansen, is a Danish furniture design company. Designers who have worked for Fritz Hansen include Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971), Poul Kjærholm (1929–1980), Hans J. Wegner (1914–2007) and Piet Hein (1905–1996). Fritz Hansen also collaborates with contemporary furniture architects including Hiromichi Konno, Cecilie Manz, and Kasper Salto.
Bellevue Beach, often simply referred to as Bellevue, is a beach at Klampenborg on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. With up to 500,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most popular beaches in the Copenhagen area, although it attracts somewhat fewer Copenhageners since the inauguration of the Amager Beach Park and the Copenhagen Harbour Baths in 2005.
Radisson Blu is an international chain of hotels operated by Radisson Hotels. With roots dating back to the 1960s, the Radisson Blu brand name came into existence in 2009 with a rebranding from Radisson SAS. Its hotels are found in major cities, key airport gateways and leisure destinations.
Vesterbrogade is the main shopping street of the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The 1.5 km long street runs from the City Hall Square in the east to Pile Allé in Frederiksberg in the west where it turns into Roskildevej. On its way, it passes Copenhagen Central Station as well as the small triangular square Vesterbros Torv. It is one of four such -bro streets, the other being Nørrebrogade, Østerbrogade and Amagerbrogade.
The Bellavista housing estate designed by Arne Jacobsen is the clearest example of Bauhaus architecture in Denmark. Completed in 1934, the estate is located just north of Copenhagen, in Klampenborg, Gentofte Municipality, next to Jacobsen's Bellevue Beach, which had been completed a couple of years earlier.
Flemming Lassen was a Modernist Danish architect and designer, working within the idiom of the International Style. Among his most notable buildings are libraries and cultural centres. He was the brother of Mogens Lassen, also an architect.
Professor.Arkitekt. Jørgen Kastholm. IDD/BDA (1931–2007)
The Tongue Chair is a classic chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1955 for Munkegaard School in Denmark. The Tongue is a typical piece of Arne Jacobsen's style and his second completed chair design, which was created just after the Ant.
Carl Hansen & Søn is a family-owned Danish furniture company based on the island of Funen. Carl Hansen & Søn is the company behind many classical furniture designs by leading figures of the Danish modern movement but the company is also collaborating with contemporary designers. Knud Erik Hansen, its current owner and CEO, is the grandson of the founder.
Ørgreen Optics is a Danish eyewear company based in Copenhagen. They are most commonly known for their colour combinations, Danish design and Japanese-made titanium frames.
Trapholt is a museum of contemporary art and design located in Kolding, Denmark. It opened in 1988 and was previously named Trapholt Kunstmuseum but its increasing focus on the broader arts lead to its shortened name. It describes itself as a "museum for modern painting, crafts, design, and furniture design".