SPOTLIGHT ON
MCM Furniture Designers & Makers
(A work in progress...)
Børge Mogensen, Denmark
Børge Mogensen's design philosophy centered around creating enduring pieces that prioritized the human experience. As a highly influential post-war designer, he emerged as a prominent figure in Danish Modern furniture.
Børge Mogensen, a key figure among a generation of exceptionally talented Danish furniture designers, highly esteemed traditional craftsmanship and the integrity of materials, particularly teak, oak, and leather. Alongside peers such as Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, and Hans Wegner, Mogensen played a crucial role in garnering international recognition for Danish furniture design. His elegantly simple and functional creations continue to enjoy global demand.
Mogensen pursued furniture design at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts from 1936 to 1938, followed by architectural training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture from 1938 to 1942. Under the tutelage and subsequent collaboration with Kaare Klint, a master cabinetmaker known for emphasizing construction quality and line simplicity, Mogensen honed his skills. In 1942, he assumed the position of head of design at the Danish Consumers Coöperative Society (FDB). Establishing his own design office in 1950, Mogensen was instrumental in defining and popularizing the "Danish Modern" design style. He earned accolades such as the Eckersberg Medal in 1950, the annual prize from the Copenhagen Carpentry Guild in 1953, and the C.F. Hansen Medal in 1972.