Arne Vodder 1926–2009

Arne Vodder was an architect and furniture designer whose contributions to classical Danish design received worldwide recognition during the 1950s and 1960s. Born in 1926, he was trained in cabinet making and architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen where he studied under the renowned Finn Juhl. After graduating in 1947, Vodder worked as an office interiors designer in Copenhagen later opening his own architecture and design studio with architect Anton Borg in 1950. For two decades the pair collaborated on highly successful projects including the design of numerous low-cost homes.

Vodder’s acclaimed furniture designs are timeless employing the use of natural materials such as exotic rosewood and teak as well as organic forms, curved lines, and a playful approach to color panels. During the 1950s, Vodder created collections for the Sibast Furniture company. He also lent his designs to tables, desks, sofas, chairs, and cabinets for brands such as Fritz Hansen, France & Son, and Bovirke. Well-received in the American market, his designs were even seen in the White House under United States President Jimmy Carter. While lesser known than his Danish Modern contemporaries, his work was exhibited internationally with the likes of Verner Panton and Nanna Ditzel. Arne Vodder died in 2009.