Danish Museum of Decorative Art
Encyclopedia
The Danish Museum of Art & Design (formerly, Danish Museum of Decorative Art; ) is a museum in Copenhagen
for Danish and international design and crafts. It features works of famous Danish designers like Arne Jacobsen
, Jacob Jensen
and Kaare Klint, who was one of the two architects who remodeled the former Frederiks Hospital
(built 1752–57) into a museum in the 1920s. The exhibition also features a variety of Chinese and German porcelain
.
The museum houses the biggest library for design in Scandinavia. It also hosts a fully annotated and illustrated database of all furniture made in Denmark from 1900 to 2000, originally compiled by Reese and Marilyn Palley and later donated to and further developed by the museum.
Im 1926 the museum moved to its current building, the defunct Frederick's Hospital
from 1757, a gift from the banker Emil Glückstadt. The architects Kaare Klint and Ivar Bentsen
had undertaken the necessary alterations and furnishings.
dedicated to decorative arts and industrial design. Open to the general public, the library is at once a museum library, research library
, and Danish central library within its field. Opening hours are Tuesday–Friday from 11–17. The library contains more than 1,000 journals. The latest issues of the 75 journals and magazines which the museum subscribes to can be read in the library's reading room.
The reading room of the library hosts public lectures on design-related topics which draw upon the collections in both the museum and the library.
The Danish Design Archive and the Poster Collection are located on the museum's first floor.
Among the events which take place in the auditorium are chamber music
concerts with musicians from Copenhagen Philharmonic. Marketed under the name ½12 Concerts, they take place on Sundays at 11.30 am and tickets are sold at the entrance for DKK
90 (DKK 50 for members).
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...
for Danish and international design and crafts. It features works of famous Danish designers like Arne Jacobsen
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...
, Jacob Jensen
Jacob Jensen
Jacob Jensen is a Danish industrial designer, best known for his work with Bang and Olufsen.-Life and career:Jensen was born in the Vesterbro area of Copenhagen in 1926. He left school after the seventh grade and completed training as an upholster...
and Kaare Klint, who was one of the two architects who remodeled the former Frederiks Hospital
Frederiks Hospital
The royal Frederiks Hospital was Denmark's first hospital in the present-day meaning of the word. It was founded by king Frederik V and financed by the earnings from the Norwegian Postal Service....
(built 1752–57) into a museum in the 1920s. The exhibition also features a variety of Chinese and German porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
.
The museum houses the biggest library for design in Scandinavia. It also hosts a fully annotated and illustrated database of all furniture made in Denmark from 1900 to 2000, originally compiled by Reese and Marilyn Palley and later donated to and further developed by the museum.
History
The museum was founded in 1890 at the initiative of, among others, Industriforeningen. A purpose-built building designed by Vilhelm Klein and located next to Industriforeningen's premises on City Hall Square was completed in 1894 and opened to the public the following year. The exhibitions were housed in separate galleries, each dedicated to a particular field such as porcelain, faience, silver, furniture, glass and textiles. This arrangement reflected the primary aim of the museum which was to serve as a source of inspiration for craftsmen and manufacturers by highlighting the very best in craftsmenship and design from different ages.Im 1926 the museum moved to its current building, the defunct Frederick's Hospital
Frederiks Hospital
The royal Frederiks Hospital was Denmark's first hospital in the present-day meaning of the word. It was founded by king Frederik V and financed by the earnings from the Norwegian Postal Service....
from 1757, a gift from the banker Emil Glückstadt. The architects Kaare Klint and Ivar Bentsen
Ivar Bentsen
Ivar Bentsen was a Danish architect.-External links:*...
had undertaken the necessary alterations and furnishings.
Library and archives
The museum is home to the largest library in ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
dedicated to decorative arts and industrial design. Open to the general public, the library is at once a museum library, research library
Research library
A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects . A research library will generally include primary sources as well as secondary sources...
, and Danish central library within its field. Opening hours are Tuesday–Friday from 11–17. The library contains more than 1,000 journals. The latest issues of the 75 journals and magazines which the museum subscribes to can be read in the library's reading room.
The reading room of the library hosts public lectures on design-related topics which draw upon the collections in both the museum and the library.
The Danish Design Archive and the Poster Collection are located on the museum's first floor.
Auditorium
The museum has a small auditorium on the first floor seating 120 people. It is rented out for lectures, concerts, receptions and other events.Among the events which take place in the auditorium are chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
concerts with musicians from Copenhagen Philharmonic. Marketed under the name ½12 Concerts, they take place on Sundays at 11.30 am and tickets are sold at the entrance for DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
90 (DKK 50 for members).