Arne Jacobsen- works and projects

The course which Arne Jacobsen architecture has followed could perhaps be traced
back to an origin in the last project of Nordic neoclassicism, the Copenhagen Police
Headuarters building, constructed b! Hack "ampmann between #$#$-#$%&'
This was a building of a special significance in the academic world of the time, gi(en that
through the project "ampmann, a professor in the Architecture )chool sourrounded himself with
students and !oung architects for whom the building was a work of apprenticeship into which
the! were a decisi(e element in the definition of e(en the smallest details' The stark e*terior is
in contrast with its e*plicitl! classical references+ howe(er those references are not merel! in
terms of some ,fountain of ideal inspiration-'
Arne Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen in #$.% and died there in #$/#' 0n #$%&, after &
!ears of stud! at a school of construction, he was accepted b! the 1o!al Academ! of Arts, at a
time when traditional (alues, as represented b! an ideali2ed (ision of the classical world, and
the architecture of 3rik 4unnar Asplund, were recei(ing the great admiration' The tradition was
for Jacobsen a frame of reference which he ne(er forgot, not e(en when he (isited in #$%5 6e
Corbusier7s 673sprit Nou(eau pa(ilion, or saw 8elnikoff7s pa(ilion, at that !ear7s 9orld
3*position in Paris, or when he went on a (isit to :erlin in #$%; he disco(ered the work of 8ies
(an der 1ohe and 9alter 4ropius'
The pa(ilion b! "a! <isker for that 3*position, on which Arne Jacobsen collaborated,
took a clear stand in the contro(ers! which was coming to a head during this period' =n the
one hand the prismatic form of the e*terior- a (olumetr! of large openings and an
uncomplicated geometr! with courses of different coloured bricks in keeping with the >anish
tradition- was contrasted with an interior in which the world of classical tradition was (er! much
present, and in which there are clear analogies with the ?ienna of the earl! !ears of the centur!'
9ithin the logic of this conte*t, (er! close to the tradition !et with a certain 8odern ualit! too,
Jacobsen was awarded his arcgitects diploma in #$%/ for a project on which the academ!
bestowed its gold medal- for a national art galler! in "lampenborg'
The earl! work continues along this ambiguous path, and clearl! bears the influence of
Nicolai Abilgaard, notabl! in the house dating from #$%;, which is manifestl! representati(e of a
series of houses from this period which share a similar scheme@ one or two store!s high,
sloping tiled roof, walls of e*posed brick, s!mmetrical composition'