Originally designed for Radiohuset, Laurtizen’s total design included Functionalist touches at every level, from the furniture and door handles to the hardwood floors and sandstone facade, the VLA75 Foyer Bench brings a unique Modernist touch into your home. Produced by Carl Hansen & Son, in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, the bench stands as a piece of modern art. The painstakingly upholstered seat and back appear to float atop the oak frame, including hand-made buttons. Despite the delicacy of the design, sumptuous comfort is still at the very heart of the piece, making it perfect for use in a hallway or living space.
Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894–1984) was one of the most significant architects in the history of Denmark; he was the trail-blazing figurehead of Danish functionalism. A number of his buildings – Nørrebro Theatre, Daells Varehus department store, Radiohuset and the first airport built in Kastrup – represented the concentrated essence of contemporary life. Other significant buildings to stem from Lauritzen’s drawing board include Folkets Hus better known today as the Vega concert venue, the Shellhuset building and the Danish embassy in Washington.
Throughout his life, Vilhelm Lauritzen adhered to the principle that architecture is applied art – with equal emphasis on both ‘art’ and ‘applied’. “No life without aesthetics” was another one of Vilhelm Lauritzen’s firmly held beliefs.
