Rarely does a single building have as much influence on the future of design as Copenhagen’s iconic Radisson Blu Royal Hotel – a place which has fascinated me ever since I first visited the city on a school exchange at the age of 14 and saw it towering above Central Station. And it’s still inspiring new creations today.
Opened in 1960 and originally known as the SAS Royal Hotel, it was the work of legendary Modernist architect Arne Jacobsen and is now regarded as the world’s first design hotel. Jacobsen was responsible for every single element, from the overall shape – a pair of angular boxes, one balancing on top of the other to fit the triangular plot – right down to the wine glasses and cutlery. He even went as far as to create bespoke typography for the signage and geometric patterns for the carpets (incidentally, the latter now feature on stationery produced by Design Letters & Friends).
Perhaps most famously, in 1958 Jacobsen designed his beloved ‘Egg’, ‘Swan’ and ‘Drop’ chairs for the hotel’s bedrooms. They’re now produced by Republic of Fritz Hansen, which has just released special 60th anniversary additions with matte-gold bases and pure leather or taupe wool upholstery; it’s also relaunching Jacobsen’s lesser-known ‘Pot’ lounge chair, which was created for the hotel’s bar but never put into general production. I was lucky enough to get a peek at all of them at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, and I was instantly smitten.
Changes in management resulted in much of Jacobsen’s aesthetic being lost over the years (with the exception of Room 606, which was preserved in its original state), but the Royal’s interiors have just been given an Arne-inspired makeover by Danish studio Space Copenhagen. I hope to have a look inside when I next visit Copenhagen in spring, but I’ve already seen hints in the form of two brand-new pieces created specifically for the hotel, also showcased at the fair and now available to buy via &tradition.
The first is the cocooning ‘Loafer’ armchair, conceived for the lobby and designed to provide a sense of intimacy and protection in the large, open space. Its circular shape mimics the hotel’s columns and famous spiral staircase, while the fluted velvet upholstery adds an air of luxury.
The second piece is the ‘Amore’ mirror, commissioned for the hotel’s bedrooms. It was inspired by the shifting reflections and shadows cast by the building’s distinctive façade, as well as the grid pattern of its windows. It consists of a trio of fold-out rectangles that can be hung vertically or horizontally, with a bronzed brass frame and a textile backing that avoids scratches to the wall.
If the above designs are anything to go by, the finished renovations are set to be stunning…
Most images via Republic of Fritz Hansen and &tradition; photo of hotel façade via Radisson Blu
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