Design story
The Fritz Hansen Oxford chair made history in 1965. It was originally designed for the professors at St. Catherine’s College in Oxford, England. When the Dean of St. Catherine’s College chose Arne Jacobsen to build an extension for the college, he was also commissioned to design the surrounding landscape and a furniture series for the college. The chair has since become synonymous with prestige and status.
Arne Jacobsen comes from a middle-class home North of Copenhagen, Denmark. In school, the young Jacobsen was restless and had trouble sitting still. He found maths a struggle and he dreamed of becoming a painter. But his parents did not share that dream, they wanted him to have a conventional and practical education.
The home Jacobsen grew up in is typical for the late 19th and early 20th century style of the period. It has thick carpet on the walls and floors, however, as a child, Arne Jacobsen painted his room completely white. An urge to break with the norms and traditions as a child, stayed with him throughout his career.
Jacobsen gave up the idea of becoming a painter and decided to study architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. From a career perspective this was undoubtedly a great idea. Jacobsen designed some of the most iconic buildings in Denmark, including four city halls. Along with his minimalistic design (he notoriously hated the word ‘design’) he became a key contributor to functionalism in Denmark.
On a number of occasions Jacobsen realised his idea of integrating architecture, design and art. Examples of this are The Danish National Bank (1965) and the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (1956). These projects led to the design of some of his most famous furniture. The Egg chair, the Swan chair and the airport sofa were designed especially for the SAS Royal Hotel.
The Fritz Hansen Oxford chair has become a classic in the Fritz Hansen collection.
