Room 606: The Sas House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen

by Michael Sheridan

In the centre of Copenhagen, on the sixth floor of the Royal Hotel, a single room preserves a microcosm of the definitive masterwork of Danish architect and furniture designer Arne Jacobsen (1902-71). Room 606 is the last surviving interior of the SAS an unparalleled example of modern architecture and design, completed in 1960. Jacobsen was one of the outstanding architects of the twentieth century, throughout his career, creating complete settings for daily life and dissolving the boundaries between architecture, interior and industrial design. The SAS House represented the pinnacle of his achievements, for which Jacobsen had designed every detail, including new furniture such as the now famous Egg and Swan chairs, fabrics, fixtures and even silverware. This book presents a unique insight into Jacobsen's work, using the 'time-capsule' Room 606 as a lens through which to examine the span of his entire career. A lost world of mid-twentieth-century form and sensation is rediscovered through hundreds of rare archival photographs, original drawings and sketches, and specially commissioned new colour photographs of Room 606. The chapters are organized each consists of three sections that together look at Room 606 as a microcosm of the SAS House, reconstruct the original building, and trace the connections between Jacobsen's masterpiece and his other works - from whole buildings to household objects.

Genres: Architecture, Reference

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lorenzo Diaz campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posiblemente el trabajo cúlmine del gran maestro escandinavo, un claro ejemplo de su visión sobre el diseño total.
Jacobsen es segurament euno de los más prolíficos arquitectos y diseñadores modernos de Dinamarca y un claro ejemplo de la excelencia del diseño Escandinavo. La construcción del SAS House a finales de los años cincuenta marcó su carrera.
La SAS House significó una revolución en el mundo del turismo justo cuando la era del jet se consolidaba, se trataba de un conjunto arquitectónico que albergaba un centro de transferencia, oficinas de las aerolíneas y un hotel de lujo, el más grande construido en Dinamarca hasta el momento. El proyecto, confiado a Jacobsen, suscitó polémica pero el arquitecto supo concretar la tarea a la perfección. Todo, completamente todo, fue diseñado por su equipo, todo especialmente concebido para un recinto que resultaría iconico.
El edificio aún existe, pero los interiores y el concepto original han sido intervenidos al grado de quedar irreconocibles. Afortunadamente, y de manera milagrosa, en el hotel se salva una habitación: la famosa suite 606. Una cápsula de tiempo que aún se puede habitar, mítica.
Este volumen hace un recuento minucioso de lo que en esa habitación, aún en funciones como una habitación del hotel que aún apera en el mismo edificio. El análisis, al grado de estudiar hasta el último herraje del detallado diseño de Jacobsen, utiliza el estudio de la 606 como escusa para profundizar en el diseño del conjunto entero e inclusive buscar una comprensión de la Praxis de diseño del afamado arquitecto.
Una estudio con una profundidad extraordinaria que nos permite entender el complejo, rico y genial pensamiento de uno de los íconos de la arquitectura moderna.

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like this review i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com

220911: is it reasonable to mourn the loss of a building? the outer shell of SAS House still exists, but the total artwork is lost, saved only in room 606 and the photos of his book. i am sad. the total project, the world so designed, included furniture, lighting, fabrics, even flatware in the restaurant. this is a piece of history, this is Scandinavian Modern at its best. this is idealized architecture and sensual world, too often lost in our postmodern ways now fifty years on...

[Andrew Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The SAS Hotel is a a landmark on the skyline of Copenhagen and almost every Dane has a story about the hotel.

This is a throughly enjoyable book that fills in all the details on the SAS Royal Hotel and also a significant treatment of Arne Jacobsen’s career.

As a second edition it perfectly respects the first but equally brings the book forward with new details and stories.

[Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

for every detail