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The Classics

For such a small country, Denmark’s influence

on international design has been outsized.

Home to acclaimed masters like Arne Jacobsen

and Hans Wegner, as well as lesser-known pioneers

like Viggo Boesen, Denmark has crafted its own

distinctive aesthetic throughout the course of

the 20th century. Now synonymous with clean,

simple lines, functional design that prioritises the

practicalities of daily life, and a reliance on

traditional craftsmanship, Danish Modernism’s

enduring appeal proves the timelessness of quality

design. But how did the movement and the creators

behind it come to hold such global clout?

First influenced by Bauhaus, a modernist school founded

in Germany in the aftermath of World War One, the early

movement’s emphasis on hard lines and stark minimalism

was softened after Danish architect Viggo Boesen developed

‘Funkis style’ alongside several others. A gentler and more

abundant aesthetic that served as a forerunner to the Danish

Modernism movement, ‘Funkis’ is best illustrated by Little

Petra, the lounge chair Boesen released in 1938. Named

after his mother-in-law, Little Petra’s elegant size and low-

to-the-ground dimensions ensured it would fit into any

cosy corner. As was common at the time, Boesen collabo-

rated on Little Petra with A.J. Iversen, one of the country’s

finest cabinetmakers and a recipient of the Danish Order

of the Dannebrog. Only a select number of custom-made

versions were produced for private clients. Boesen’s fondness

for organic materials was seen in the natural fabrics selected

to hand-stitch the elegantly rounded back, and the short,

shapely legs crafted in oak or walnut.

The Mayor sofa is another icon from the late 1930s with

a lasting influence on Danish design. When Arne Jacobsen

and Flemming Lassen were commissioned to design a

new town hall on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen,

the duo were handed responsibility for every aspect of the

aesthetic, from the imposing marble exterior to the door

handles inside. The Mayor sofa – created specifically to sit

in the waiting area of the hall’s wedding room – was one of

many such custom pieces. The sofa celebrates Denmark’s

legacy of craftsmanship, but in a modern context: the

hand-built frame of solid oak supports an upright, stream-

lined design that includes two elegant rows of button

detailing that extend along the length of the upholstery.

The Søllerød Town Hall was not the only building that

inspired Jacobsen and Lassen to design custom pieces:

The House of the Future, a building that the pair created

together during the Great Depression, was intended to

embody a new mode of living during a period of great eco-

nomic difficulty. The result was a circular house that show-

cased an aspirational portrayal of how modern technology

would transform domestic life. Flat-screen TVs on the

wall, a doormat that vacuumed visitors’ shoes upon arrival

and a rooftop gyrocopter landing pad were all included.

Furniture played an equally important role in defining this

vision: the gracefully curved lines of the Bellevue lamp, for

example, embody the coupling between Minimalism and

Functionalism that the design duo espoused.

Another legendary architect, Jørn Utzon, also became a

seminal figure in the Modernism movement. Best known

for his design of the Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon

created smaller objects with equal care. Utzon – whose

father worked as a naval engineer in Copenhagen – was

often inspired by the smooth, industrial silhouettes of

ships. When he debuted the Utzon pendant light in 1948,

its distinctive collared shape and sharp lines echoed

that interest.

By the 1960s, aesthetics had become decidedly more

exuberant with the arrival of Verner Panton to the scene.

Despite being a disciple of Jacobsen, Panton pioneered

his own approach to Modernism. His beloved Flowerpot

lamp – a design piece that later became a symbol of the

Flower Power movement – was such an example; its

rounded shape and bold colours intended to inject a pop

of playfulness to any interior. Although he remained

committed to the principles of Functionalism, Panton

continually pushed the boundaries of material and colour.

His fondness for bright, moulded plastic furniture, such as

the now-iconic S chair, broke with the Danish tradition of

woodworking, introducing a new and revolutionary way of

interpreting the movement’s emphasis on fluid shapes.

Today, the world-renowned Danish Modernism movement

has come to symbolise a profound marriage between two

parts. Its firm functional focus on need and purpose is

coupled with a belief in grace and beauty. As the design

philosophy holds, these are beautiful things that make

your life better; and their continued impact, decades later,

suggests this may be true.