By Lassen is a Danish brand whose selection is based on the characteristic and strictly functional design of the celebrated architects and designers – and brothers – Mogens and Flemming Lassen. Let us introduce you to the timeless and insightful products of the Lassen brothers.
DICTIONARY OF Nordic design is a column for introducing and highlighting important brands and designers, who have shaped Finnish and Scandinavian design. Up next is Danish manufacturer, by Lassen.
By Lassen is a Danish design brand focused on iconic designs created by Mogens and Flemming Lassen, renowned pioneers of Danish functionalism and modernist architecture. Brothers Mogens (1901–1987) and Flemming (1902–1984) Lassen are known as two of Denmark’s greatest architects and designers, both honoured with numerous prestigious medals and awards.
Founded in 2008 by the Lassens' grandchildren, by Lassen cherishes the design heritage of the architect brothers by producing small decorative items and furniture designed by them, as well as introducing modern designs that complement the Lassens' functionalist spirit.
Mogens Lassen's grandson Søren Lassen has complemented his grandfather's iconic Kubus series with vases, bowls, and everyday household objects. The company's mission is to make timeless, practical, and durable products available to new generations – without compromising on the original minimalist aesthetics.
Flemming Lassen
Flemming Lassen was a Danish architect and one of the pioneers of Danish functionalism. He is best known for his buildings designed in collaboration with Arne Jacobsen as well as his internationally renowned furniture. Perhaps the best known of Flemming Lassen’s designs is The Tired Man lounge chair designed in 1935 for a competition held by the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild.
Born into a profoundly artistic family, Flemming Lassen knew already at a young age that he wanted to become an architect, as did his brother Mogens.
Flemming’s international breakthrough came at the end of the 1920s when he won a competition held by the Federation of Danish Architects with his design for the House of the Future exhibition house he created in collaboration with Arne Jacobsen, presenting the latest achievements in technology. The architects imagined, for example, a stripped-down kitchen where food would no longer be prepared as ready-made meals would be delivered to the door – sound familiar?
The two set up a studio of their own in the 1930s and went on to create celebrated landmarks such as the Søllerød Town Hall, located in Denmark near Copenhagen and completed in 1942.
Mogens Lassen
Dyslexia hampered the career plans of Mogens Lassen, who was passionate about architecture from a young age, but he gained the necessary knowledge and experience by training and working in offices in the field such as Tyge Hvass' studio where he trained from 1925 to 1934. He was also admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1923.
In 1927 Mogens Lassen left to work for a Danish engineering company in France, but he found himself less than pleased with the job – and not being able to communicate in French. However, Paris – and Le Corbusier's revolutionary ideas, in particular – altered and broadened Lassen’s view on architecture significantly. After returning to Denmark in 1928 he started planning for an office of his own, which he then established in 1935.
The functionalist and mathematically precisely designed Kubus products found their form when Mogens Lassen, inspired by the design principles of Bauhaus, wanted to rebel against maximalist decoration.
Along with working in architecture Lassen also designed furniture and other objects, and his Kubus candleholder has become an icon of Danish design. The functionalist and mathematically precisely designed Kubus products found their form when Mogens Lassen, inspired by the design principles of Bauhaus, wanted to rebel against maximalist decoration.
Lassen started working on the Kubus candleholder long before it was sent into production in 1962 – the first Kubus candleholders were not put on the market, as Lassen saved them for his family members and friends.
by Lassen
- By Lassen was founded in 2008 by Lassen's grandchildren.
- The by Lassen selection is based on Mogens Lassen's and Flemming Lassen's products. The range is complemented by contemporary designs such as the Lassen Chair designed by Magnus Sangild and Marianne Viktor and the Kubus T candleholder by Sarah Abbondio.
- Mogens Lassen's grandson, Søren Lassen, has also designed products for by Lassen.
- The iconic Kubus products are made locally at by Lassen's own factory in Holstebro, Denmark, mainly from recycled steel.
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See also:
• All by Lassen's products >
• All designs by Flemming Lassen >
• All designs by Mogens Lassen >
Text: Mira Ahola Images: by Lassen