Copenhagen's First Skyscraper, 1960

Just The Pix

Arne Jacobsen's Iconic SAS Royal Hotel interior
Arne Jacobsen's Iconic SAS Royal Hotel exterior

All The Deets

Inside Space Copenhagen's Renovation of Arne Jacobsen's Iconic SAS Royal Hotel (2018)

The above article is potentially especially helpful for trying to envision an updated Mid Century Modern style because it talks a bit about trying to respect the building's origins while also updating it to better fit the world today. That's essentially the mission for this style guide.

Please note the floor-to-ceiling curtains in one of the pictures. These can be enormously useful for providing insulation against both outside temperatures and noise. They can also help make a space look very uncluttered and spacious.

This building is just 18 (or 20?) stories tall, not that tall as skyscrapers go in the world today where our 74 tallest buildings have from 54 to 163 floors. Most buildings in the center of Copenhagen are just 3 to 6 stories and new laws will keep it that way.

At least one study suggests that four-story buildings are the sweet spot for minimizing energy usage. Though some people speculate that additional research will find that optimal height for minimizing carbon footprint will prove to be in the 6- to 12-story range, there is general agreement that very tall buildings are an energy burden to be avoided if we want to get climate change under control.

This hotel is talked about in this nearly hour-long video about Danish furniture. Danish modern furniture was an important influence on Mid Century Modern American design.

Arne Jacobsen was a very important and influential figure in Danish modern furniture in the Mid Century era. He designed the building, all the furnishings and even the kitchenware for this building, so this building makes a good example of a prime source from which to take cues.