Flemming Lassen

Architect Flemming Lassen (1902-1984) was a Modernist and was part of the movement to bring Functionalism to Denmark. Flemming Lassen is particularly well known for his work with Arne Jacobsen on the award-winning House of the Future and Søllerød Town Hall, and his furniture has also achieved international recognition. During his career, Flemming Lassen was honoured with many awards and grants for his unique designs and iconic architecture.

Like his brother Mogens Lassen, Flemming Lassen already knew from a very young age that he would become an architect. He was born into an artistic family with a father who was a decorative painter and a mother who was a painter. As a child, he and his brother Mogens spent all of their savings on architecture books and their favourite pastime was measuring houses with the intent of sketching them.

In 1910, Flemming and Mogens Lassen ended up in the same class as Arne Jacobsen at the same boarding school in Nærum, and the brothers' interest in architecture rubbed off on young Arne. They convinced him to become an architect, not a painter, and they later received a letter of thanks from Arne Jacobsen's father for their positive influence on his son.

International breakthrough

Flemming Lassen and Arne Jacobsen continued their friendship through adulthood, but it was not just privately that they got along so well. Flemming Lassen and Arne Jacobsen were both passionate Functionalists and when a competition at Forum was held in 1929 to design the house of the future, they partnered to create a joint project. The result was the now world-famous round house where helicopters could land on the roof and flat screen TVs adorned the walls. Their project won the competition and the House of the Future ensured international recognition for Flemming Lassen and Arne Jacobsen, providing them with their breakthrough as major international architects.

Flemming Lassen and Arne Jacobsen continued their partnership and, among other joint projects, they designed Søllerød City Hall and all of its interiors including the Mayor sofa, which in 2012 was honoured with the Wallpaper design award.

Designs in high demand at auctions today

Designs in high demand at auctions today
Today, you can’t mention Flemming Lassen without hammer prices automatically rising to sky-high levels. His designs rarely appear at auction and are also very distinctive, making them extremely attractive to collectors. The Flemming Lassen armchair 'The tired man' also holds the record for being the most expensive chair ever sold at auction in Denmark – for a hammer price of DKK 1,42 million.