Architect Flemming Lassen (1902-1984) was a modernist and part of the movement to bring functionalism to Denmark. He is particularly renowned for his overstuffed furniture, receiving major international recognition in the design world for his armchairs which today have become known as “the Flemming Lassen style”. Like his brother Mogens Lassen, Flemming already knew from a very young age that he wanted to become an architect. He was born into an artistic family with a father who was a decorative painter and a mother who was also a painter. As a child, he and his brother spent all their savings on architecture books and their favorite pastime was measuring houses with the intention of sketching them.
The Lassen brothers attended boarding school with Arne Jacobsen, with whom they developed a close friendship. Their relationship continued into adulthood and Flemming Lassen and Arne Jacobsen maintained a close bond as colleagues. In 1929, a competition was announced to design the ´House of the Future´ and together they submitted their contribution for the exhibition held at the Forum, Copenhagen. The result was the now famous circular house, which featured a helicopter landing pad on the roof and flat screen TVs on the walls. Their design won first prize at 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, designing buildings such as Søllerød Town Hall and its complete interior.
Flemming went on to design many important buildings during the rest of his life, developing several iconic furniture pieces to complete the interior of his projects. Today, his designs are rare and typically distinctive, making them highly attractive to collectors and pushing auction prices to record levels. In fact, an original Flemming Lassen design, Tired Man armchair from 1935, holds the record as the most expensive chair ever sold in Denmark. Flemming won many awards and grants for his architecture during his lifetime, and he remains a significant influence on the Scandinavian design scene to this day.