AJ52 Society Table

Overview

The AJ52 Society Table is a writing desk by Arne Jacobsen, created in 1952 for the American-Scandinavian Foundation's New York office. Carl Hansen & Søn describes it as a fluid fusion of Bauhaus, functionalism and industrial design.

Construction

• Top: a fine-structured leather top wrapped tightly around a tubular metal frame
• Frame: stainless steel tubes with solid-wood feet
• Drawers: a six-drawer unit in wood and veneer, suspended from fine metal tubes beneath the table and mountable on the left or right side
• Options: a glass-fronted wood-and-veneer letter compartment and a conical brushed stainless steel desk lamp, offered with or without

Image source: Carl Hansen & Søn — AJ52 Society Table · © Carl Hansen & Søn and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Specifications

• Largest size: 160 x 70 cm, height 72 cm
• Second size: 140 x 70 cm, height 72 cm

A desk for a foundation

Arne Jacobsen conceived the AJ52 in 1952, which Carl Hansen & Søn places at the peak of his career. The brand says he used new techniques and materials to make a slender writing desk whose leather top wraps tightly around a tubular metal frame.

Lightness by design

The page credits the slim frame, the solid-wood feet and the six-drawer unit hung from fine metal tubes with the desk's air of lightness. The lamp and the compartment are described as seamless extensions of the design.