How the Timeless Egg Chair Became a Design Icon

Even if Easter is nowhere near approaching, today we’d like to think about eggs. We’d like to think about one special egg in particular… Of course, we’re thinking about the inimitable Egg Chair designed nearly six decades ago by none other than prolific designer and architect Arne Jacobsen.

A Timeless Masterpiece

The Jacobsen Egg Chair, mid century modern Danish design icon, is a sculptural opus that became an enduring classic. Coveted by design fans new and old, this recognizable symbol of mid century organic modernism, hasn't been out of production ever.

Jacobsen designed the piece in 1958 as a modern version of the classic Wing Chair design. There have been comparisons made to Eero Saarinen’s 1946 Womb Chair. Some believe it truly influenced Jacobsen’s Egg Chair design.

Commissioned to create every single element of the former SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen - from the high-rise itself to its furnishings and its interiors. While in practice, Jacobsen successfully applied his theories on integrated design and architecture.

In fact, The Egg Chair Arne Jacobsen was a significant piece of his overall grand master plan for the Royal Hotel. It was specifically designed to beautifully sit in the hotel’s lobby and reception areas as seen in the historic image below.

Unassuming Nordic Brilliance

The Egg Chair leather was first showcased at the Formes Scandinaves Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in November 1958 in Paris as a part of the creator’s proposed furniture for the SAS Royal Hotel. Nowadays, the SAS Royal Hotel is the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel.

Jacobsen's modernist masterpiece surrendered to the uniform decor pieces now found in modern hotel chains, though once reminiscent of the Mad Men mid century Jet Age.Fortunately, the leather Egg Chair has remained a constant symbol of great design kept in perpetuity.

A technological innovation back then, the groundbreaking Egg Chair fabric consisted of curvy contours. When placed in the Royal Hotel, a skyrise building with horizontal and vertical lines, the piece’s pure organic quality along with its approachability, provided an elegant contrast.

Indeed, the piece was a veritable study in organic modernism. During that specific period, Jacobsen was one of the relatively few designers in the world using an organic style of furniture design. Doubtless, this humanistic approach helped to pivot his popularity.

Jacobsen initially created the Egg Chair’s base in clay to perfect and model its shape. In crafting it, he used a strong foam inner shell under the upholstery, being the first designer ever to use this material. The chair’s now made using a polyurethane foam.

It’s expertly padded with foam and covered in leather or fabric - 1200 hand-sewn stitches go into the making of every Egg Chair! Its shell has a tilt fitting that adjusts to weight and beautifully stands on a polished swivel base. Crafted with fervor, this masterpiece is made for life!

Arne Jacobsen, an designer and architect, was also an artist, something that influenced his thoughts on the use of color. Many of his furniture designs showcase from subdued to brilliant hues, and the chair perfectly lends itself to colored leathers and fabrics.

This special edition of the elegant Egg Chair, featured in the image shown below,is upholstered with dark blue fabric. This chair was beautifully inspired by Jacobsen’s enthusiasm for bluish color tones.

Curvaceous, Distinctive Shape

With its distinctive shape, the enveloping Egg Chair strikes a commanding pose and presence, practically asking individuals to sit and wrap themselves in it. Whenever seated, the chair offers a modicum of privacy,

This feature is particularly useful when wishing to nestle right at home or in public spaces.With its swivel base, the user may choose to pivot away, while finding their own seclusion, or rotate towards the fun conversation.

Accompanying the Egg Chair, Danish master Jacobsen also designed the Egg Footstool back in 1958. Amazingly enough, both pieces - the chair and footstool - have been in production ever since their release! They’re produced by many renowned online furniture replica retailers, including ourselves.

We hope this info inspires you. As you can see, nearly sixty years later, the Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair replica remains a true representative icon of Denmark’s highly admired design DNA. Ready to get one of these icons for yourself at Manhattan Home Design? Browse our catalog!