[Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own]
You might not have heard of Vilhelm Lauritzen but chances are you’ve come across his work, even if you didn’t realise at the time. One of the most significant architects of the mid 20th century, he was a pioneer of Danish modernism and responsible for some of the most iconic buildings in Copenhagen. At the core of his approach was a lifelong belief that architecture is applied art for the people, not a privilege for the few, and his basic aim was to create functional spaces that promote equality and improve the wellbeing of their users.
Lauritzen died in 1984 but his studio, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, continues to this day. It’s currently marking its centenary year, so to celebrate the occasion – and honour Lauritzen’s enduring legacy – it’s teamed up with Carl Hansen & Søn to put some of the furniture that he designed specifically for his various building projects into full production. I got to explore this exciting collaboration last month, when the two companies invited a few bloggers over to Copenhagen to visit three of his architectural gems and see the re-born pieces in person. Read on to find out more – and discover how you can be in with a chance of winning one of the designs, the gorgeous VLA26 ‘Vega’ chair, for yourself…
THE VEGA MUSIC VENUE
Our first stop was the Vega concert hall, designed by Lauritzen in 1956 as a meeting place for the labour movement and an affordable event space that local residents could hire for parties and weddings. Initially named Folkets Hus (the People’s House), it was transformed into a music venue in 1996, but the renovations were done very sensitively and almost all the original features remain. It’s a wonderfully soulful, characterful space, with dark wooden panelling, decorative friezes, chequered floor tiles, sleek metal railings and a notoriously confusing double staircase that generations of visitors have got lost on! Wandering around, I could easily see why it occupies such a fond place in the hearts of many Copenhageners, and why so many bands insist that it’s included on their touring schedule.
Lauritzen was responsible for every detail in the building, from the lighting down to the iconic round ‘exit’ signs and even the door handles (which are backed by an ingenious metal plate to stop people’s rings damaging the woodwork). This also included the chairs and one of them, the stackable VLA26 ‘Vega’ chair, is now being made available to a wider audience for the first time thanks to Carl Hansen. Consisting of a gently curved wooden backrest, a wooden seat and turned wooden feet on a black steel frame, it’s an elegant yet highly functional and comfortable design. The Carl Hansen team worked with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects to stay as close to the original as possible, uncovering archive drawings and examining the remaining examples in great detail. The new version has slightly modified proportions to meet modern regulations and features recycled nylon pads under the seat to prevent scratches when stacked, but otherwise it’s remarkably similar. It comes in clear lacquered or black-stained oak, with the option of beautifully neat, pared-back upholstery in a range of colours.
Radiohuset
Next on our tour was Radiohuset (the Radio House), built as the headquarters of Denmark’s national broadcaster and now home to the Royal Danish Academy of Music. The vertical panelling and many of the fixtures and fittings echo those found in Vega, but here Lauritzen used exclusive materials such as teak hardwood and Greenlandic marble. Combine those with lofty arched ceilings, sweeping staircases, a two-tone parquet floor and vast walls of glass, and you have a warm, graceful embrace of a building that’s flooded with natural light. It also has a particularly interesting history: construction started in 1938 but, determined to prevent the space from being used for Nazi propaganda after Denmark was occupied during World War II, Lauritzen deliberately slowed things down and it didn’t fully open until 1945.
As with Vega, Lauritzen custom-designed every detail, including the benches, lounge chairs and sofas in the foyer. Now put into production by Carl Hansen and named the ‘Foyer’ series, they offset curved oak frames and tapered legs with cushions upholstered in textured fabric or soft beige leather. Again, lots of detective work went into ensuring the designs stayed as close to Lauritzen’s as possible, including peeling back a 1960s reupholstery job to discover the originals featured buttons. The results are beautiful, with exquisite details such as folded corners and brass screws, and have a light, delicate expression despite the sturdy construction and materials.
The Vilhelm Lauritzen Terminal
Our final stop was the oldest of the three Lauritzen creations on our tour, but perhaps the most ground-breaking: the original Copenhagen airport terminal, opened in 1939 and today used as a VIP suite for the Danish royal family and visiting heads of state. At the time, air travel was a novel phenomenon and there was no typology for how an airport should look. As a functionalist, Lauritzen designed the building around its use, dividing it into ‘landside’ and ‘airside’ sections and therefore pioneering the concept used by all modern terminals around the world today. In fact if you’ve ever flown anywhere, you’ll have passed through an airport directly influenced by this very place.
And oh my, is it beautiful! An airy space awash with natural light, it encompasses soaring columns, spiral staircases, a marble entrance area and a wood-lined restaurant with a double-curved facade. But the star feature is the undulating, wave-like ceiling, clad in beige tiles that barely look as if they’ve aged a year. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of Lauritzen’s original drawings at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects’ office after our visit, and it’s hard to overemphasise how innovative the terminal was for its day.
The building was closed to passengers in the 1960s, but Lauritzen and his studio were involved in its replacements and the two Copenhagen terminals in use today contain numerous references to its design, from whitewashed columns to wooden panels. And if the original terminal wasn’t incredible enough already, in 1999 the entire thing was moved in one piece on the back of a flatbed lorry, travelling 3.8km across the airfield to its current position. Truly amazing stuff!
Win a ‘Vega’ chair
I’ll have more from my time in Denmark with Carl Hansen & Søn soon, but in the meantime I have a beautiful VLA26 ‘Vega’ chair in clear lacquered or black-stained oak to give away to one lucky person. To be in with a chance of winning, just head over to this Instagram post and follow the instructions. The giveaway is open to those in the UK and the rest of Europe, and closes at 11pm UK time on Thursday 10th November 2022. The winner will be picked at random and notified via the Instagram post shortly afterwards. Good luck!
‘Vega’ chair and ‘Foyer’ collection images courtesy of Carl Hansen & Søn; all other photography by Abi Dare
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