Arne Jacobsen desk

This rare desk, model 3605, was designed by Arne Jacobsen and produced by Fritz Hansen in Denmark in 1955. It represents one of Jacobsen’s most refined modernist designs, merging architectural precision with functional minimalism. The desk reflects Jacobsen’s preoccupation with proportion, structure, and the honest use of materials, principles that defined much of his furniture and architectural work during the mid-century period.

The rectangular top is veneered in richly figured rosewood with a deep reddish-brown tone and distinctive linear grain patterns. The edges are softly rounded, emphasizing the craftsmanship and attention to detail typical of Fritz Hansen’s production in the 1950s. Beneath the top, a single suspended drawer in black-painted wood provides functional storage without interrupting the desk’s clean visual rhythm. The drawer’s placement to one side enhances legroom while maintaining the desk’s balanced asymmetry.

The base consists of four chromed steel legs with a lightly tapered rectangular profile, connected by thin stabilizing rods that reinforce the structure while contributing to the desk’s visual lightness. The combination of rosewood and polished steel creates a refined contrast between natural warmth and industrial precision, an essential aspect of Scandinavian modern aesthetics. The desk’s design language parallels Jacobsen’s architectural works of the same period, where lightness and clarity of line were achieved through rational construction and elegant proportion.

Arne Jacobsen (1902–1971) was one of Denmark’s most influential architects and designers. Trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, he is known for creating complete design environments that integrated architecture, furniture, and lighting. His furniture designs, including the Ant, Egg, and Swan chairs, exemplify the synthesis of form and function that characterized Danish modernism. The desk model 3605 stands as a rare example of his early explorations of metal and wood combinations prior to his later mass-produced furniture.

This piece is in excellent restored condition, with the rosewood surface refinished to reveal its original depth and luster. The chromed steel retains its bright, polished finish with only minimal traces of age. Dimensions are 152 cm in width (59.8 inches), 80 cm in depth (31.5 inches), and 70.5 cm in height (27.8 inches).