Swan Leather Armchair – Arne Jacobsen

• Arne Jacobsen’s leather Swan armchair (model 3320) is a variant of the model produced by Fritz Hansen in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.
• This example belongs to the first production series.
• Upholstered in natural cognac/honey leather, it rests on a four-star chrome swivel base.
• An icon of 20th-century Danish design, the Swan embodies the designer’s organic vision and technical innovation. Its continuous form, without straight lines, offers a comfortable seat and great visual lightness.
• Dimensions: H 75 cm × D 67 cm × W 75 cm × seat height 37 cm.
• Swivel armchair.
• Light signs of use on the backrest (see photo).

Swan leather armchair – Arne Jacobsen, the model’s history and design

Arne Jacobsen’s Swan armchair is one of the major pieces of Scandinavian design. First presented in 1958 as part of the SAS Royal Hotel project in Copenhagen, it stands among the most iconic creations developed for this modernist complex. Produced by Fritz Hansen, it was designed as a fluid seat, in direct dialogue with the hotel’s architecture.

Unlike the more enveloping Egg chair, the Swan stands out with an open, continuous silhouette, entirely free of straight lines. Its organic form was made possible by innovative techniques for the time, notably a molded shell covered with foam, allowing great formal freedom. This process marked an important step in the evolution of 1950s design.

The slim, swiveling aluminum base enhances the model’s sense of lightness. The chair seems almost suspended in space, while still offering a stable seat. Designed for the hotel’s reception areas, it helps structure the space without weighing it down, while maintaining a certain intimacy. This ability to blend into open environments while defining distinct zones explains its lasting success in contemporary interiors.

The SAS Royal Hotel, inaugurated in 1960, is one of Arne Jacobsen’s most accomplished projects, for which he designed every detail, from furniture to lighting. The Swan converses there with other iconic pieces such as the Egg chair or the Drop chair, forming a coherent whole in which design and architecture fully interlock.

Today, the Swan armchair remains a benchmark of 20th-century design, sought after for the accuracy of its proportions and the modernity of its lines. Early editions, in particular, attract increased interest from collectors for their build quality and their closeness to the original design.