Bellavista housing estate
Encyclopedia
The Bellavista housing estate designed by Arne Jacobsen
is the clearest example of Bauhaus
architecture in Denmark
. Completed in 1934, the estate is located just north of Copenhagen
, in Klampenborg
, Gentofte Municipality, next to Jacobsen's Bellevue Beach
, which had been completed a couple of years earlier.
architecture of Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius
, both pioneers of the Bauhaus school. This encouraged him to collaborate with his old friend Flemming Lassen
in designing the "House of the Future" which won the Danish Architects Association
's competition in 1929. In 1930, Jacobsen designed the Functionalist, white-plastered Rothenborg House
on Klampenborgvej in Klampenborg, planned and furnished as a total work of art. The building was warmly received, not only by the Danish press but by its occupants.
Shortly after he had completed the Bellevue Beach bathing centre, Jacobsen received a commission from Gentofte Municipality to build an apartment complex in the same area. It was specified that the buildings should have flat roofs, that they should not have more than three storeys and that those facing the coast road and the sea beyond should not be more than two storeys high. Jacobsen decided to construct his 68 modern, well-fitted apartments in a U-shaped configuration consisting of three wings overlooking a central lawn. The name Bellavista stemmed from the Bella Vista villa which had previously stood on the site. The Bellavista development has been listed since 1987.
. Bellavista allowed Jacobsen to realize his dream of a modern town.
and what is now called Restaurant Jacobsen which also functions as a small Arne Jacobsen museum. Jacobsen's Skovshoved Filling Station
, with its unique mushroom-like canopy, is located on the coast road some 2 km to the north. All three date from 1936. Mattsson's Riding Hall is a whitewashed, reinforced-concrete riding arena near Klampenborg Station behind the estate. In 1934, at the request of its owner, Axel Mattsson, Jacobsen transformed older buildings into a luxurious riding centre better suited to its demanding clientele. After the war, Jacobsen designed the Søholm terraced houses
located some 400 metres to the south of Bellavista. He lived and worked in the house closest to the sea (Strandvejen 413) from 1951 until his death in 1971.
Arne Jacobsen
Arne Emil Jacobsen, usually known as Arne Jacobsen, was a Danish architect and designer. He is remembered for contributing so much to architectural Functionalism as well as for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple but effective chair designs.-Early life and education:Arne Jacobsen was born...
is the clearest example of Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
architecture in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Completed in 1934, the estate is located just north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, in Klampenborg
Klampenborg
Klampenborg is a northern suburb to Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Gentofte Municipality, directly on Øresund, between Taarbæk and Skovshoved. Like other neighbourhoods along the Øresund coast, Klampenborg is an affluent area with many large houses....
, Gentofte Municipality, next to Jacobsen's Bellevue Beach
Bellevue Beach
Bellevue Beach , often simply referred to as Bellevue, is a beach at Klampenborg on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark...
, which had been completed a couple of years earlier.
Background
While still a student, Jacobsen travelled to Germany where he was attracted by the ModernistModernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
architecture of Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
, both pioneers of the Bauhaus school. This encouraged him to collaborate with his old friend Flemming Lassen
Flemming Lassen
Flemming Lassen was a Modernist Danish architect and designer, working within the idiom of the International Style. Among his most notable buildings are libraries and cultural centres. He was the brother of Mogens Lassen, also an architect.-Early life:Flemming Lassen was born on 23 February 1901...
in designing the "House of the Future" which won the Danish Architects Association
Architects' Association of Denmark
The Architects' Association of Denmark , or simply AA, is an independent professional body for Danish architects. It was founded in founded om 21 November 1879 with the prime duty to advance and promote architectural quality by influencing the planning and design of our physical environment in the...
's competition in 1929. In 1930, Jacobsen designed the Functionalist, white-plastered Rothenborg House
Rothenborg House
The Rothenborg House is a private home in Klampenborg, just north of Copenhagen, designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen in 1930.The house was built for the lawyer Max Rothenborg. His wife was thrilled with the building and participated enthusiatically in its furnishings...
on Klampenborgvej in Klampenborg, planned and furnished as a total work of art. The building was warmly received, not only by the Danish press but by its occupants.
Shortly after he had completed the Bellevue Beach bathing centre, Jacobsen received a commission from Gentofte Municipality to build an apartment complex in the same area. It was specified that the buildings should have flat roofs, that they should not have more than three storeys and that those facing the coast road and the sea beyond should not be more than two storeys high. Jacobsen decided to construct his 68 modern, well-fitted apartments in a U-shaped configuration consisting of three wings overlooking a central lawn. The name Bellavista stemmed from the Bella Vista villa which had previously stood on the site. The Bellavista development has been listed since 1987.
Architecture
The buildings are built of brick with a whitewashed finish and iron girders between the floors. The roofs are tar-papered, the window frames are teak and the balconies have reinforced concrete fencing. In order to take full advantage of the sea view, Jacobsen staggered the facades of the north and south wings so that each apartment has two rooms with views over the sea. The sea can also be seen from the balconies which are integrated into the structure of the buildings rather than protruding outwards as was the usual practice at the time. The south wing which stands on lower ground has a basement with garages. The largest apartments are those in the west wing, behind the two others and parallel to the coast road, where there is no requirement for a staggered facade. A few shops were also included in the complex. Jacobsen succeeded in creating interesting effects with his floor displacements, rounded corners, and the latticework over the balconies. The shadows over the white surface of the buildings create ever changing impressions as the day progresses. With their white-washed facades and corner windows, the buildings instill an atmosphere of exotic, elegant modernity, so typical of FunctionalismFunctionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
. Bellavista allowed Jacobsen to realize his dream of a modern town.
Neighbouring Jacobsen works
In the immediate vicinity of the Bellavista estate, Jacobsen also designed the Bellevue TheatreBellevue Teatret
The Bellevue Teatret is a theatre in Klampenborg at the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Opened in 1936 to the design of Arne Jacobsen, the building is considered one of his most important architectural works and examplar of Danish functionalism...
and what is now called Restaurant Jacobsen which also functions as a small Arne Jacobsen museum. Jacobsen's Skovshoved Filling Station
Skovshoved Petrol Station
The Skovshoved Petrol Station is a historic, still-operating filling station in Skovshoved at the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. First opened in 1936, it was designed by Arne Jacobsen and is an example of the functionalist style typical of the time. It is Class A listed and was...
, with its unique mushroom-like canopy, is located on the coast road some 2 km to the north. All three date from 1936. Mattsson's Riding Hall is a whitewashed, reinforced-concrete riding arena near Klampenborg Station behind the estate. In 1934, at the request of its owner, Axel Mattsson, Jacobsen transformed older buildings into a luxurious riding centre better suited to its demanding clientele. After the war, Jacobsen designed the Søholm terraced houses
Søholm Row Houses
The Søholm Row Houses, designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen in Klampenborg just north of Copenhagen, were completed in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
located some 400 metres to the south of Bellavista. He lived and worked in the house closest to the sea (Strandvejen 413) from 1951 until his death in 1971.
Assessment
In "Design 1935-1965, What Modern was", R. Craig Miller notes that Jacobsen’s work "is an important and original contribution both to modernism and to the specific place Denmark and the Scandinavian countries have in the modern movement. One might in fact argue that much of what the modern movement stands for, would have been lost and simply forgotten if Scandinavian designers and architects like Arne Jacobsen would not have added that humane element to it."Literature
- Thau, Carsten; Vindum, Kjeld: Arne Jacobsen, 2008, Copenhagen, Arkitektens forlag, 560 p. ISBN 9788774072300
External links
- Arne Jacobsen i Gentofte, Danish-language account of Jacobsen's works in Gentofte Municipality with many photographs