We’ve all seen the totally unique egg chair and probably desperately wanted one. The designer behind the fun style was Arne Jacobsen, a Danish designer and architect who lived between 1902 and 1971. His legacy was a huge contribution to architectural Functionalism and global recognition for his simple yet incredibly effective chair designs.

Born in 1902 in Copenhagen, Jacobsen’s father was a trader in safety pins and fasteners, while his mother worked as a bank clerk. Her hobby was the painting of floral motifs, and enthused by her passion, the young Jacobsen wanted to be a painter. His father advised that the more reliable world of architecture might be a safer bet. Arne joined the Architecture School of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and studied there between 1924 and 1927.

He is mainly remembered for his clever furniture designs but did primarily train as an architect. He never referred to himself as a ‘designer’ though, famously disliking the term.

The Egg chair is so simple and yet says so much. It was a great design – heaps of personality, beautifully sculpted, surprisingly comfortable and long-lasting. For your own Egg Chair, visit https://www.pash-classics.com/egg-chair-inspired-by-arne-jacobsen.html

The chair was first designed in 1958, commissioned by the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. This was Jacobsen’s biggest ever commission, having designed virtually everything inside the hotel, from the façade to the cutlery.

The egg shape was unique for its time with nothing similar having been seen before. The reason he chose an egg design was that he wanted the interior of the hotel to be in direct contrast with the exterior, which was modernist and edgy. The softness and roundness of the egg’s natural organic lines were in stark opposition to the hard steel and glass outer shell of the building.

It caused quite a stir when first revealed and became a landmark in modern furniture design concepts. It was also made from a new material, being a foam shell that was then upholstered. The Jacobsen Egg Chair has been manufactured by the Fritz Hansen company since its first release in the 1950s. They are still crafted individually at the Danish factory with the very best luxury materials.

Each individual chair is handstitched with a special wave method. It takes more than 500 stitches to create the perfect Egg Chair, with over 1,000 needed for a chair made with leather. It takes time but that’s what gives the chair its premium aesthetics and luxury feel.

For something that still looks timeless and even contemporary, it’s hard to believe the original concept dates back to the 1950s. Fritz Hansen has released a special leather design in a limited number – 1,958 to be precise – to celebrate the year the Egg Chair was designed. Made from pure leather that will age in a stunning fashion and with a 23-karat gold-plated base.