Jørgen Gammelgaard

Jørgen Gammelgaard (1938-1991) was a Danish cabinetmaker, industrial designer, and professor renowned for refined minimalism. He was fascinated by new production methods and was acclaimed for designing furniture distinguished by its simple yet sophisticated design, crafted from natural materials and stainless steel.  

During the 1950s and early 1960s, prominent Danish designers such as Hans J. Wegner, Finn Juhl, and Børge Mogensen secured international fame and attention for Denmark. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Danish design continued to flourish and evolve.  

In between Danish Modern and the renaissance of Scandinavian design in the 1990s was the designer Jørgen Gammelgaard. He belonged to a generation of talented furniture designers who learned their craft in the time-honored Danish apprenticeship tradition. Gammelgaard was initially trained as a cabinetmaker at the renowned Copenhagen cabinetmaker AJ Iversen and briefly worked under architect Grete Jalk. He then became a student at the Royal Academy's furniture school under Ole Wanscher and Poul Kjærholm. Gammelgaard later worked in the offices of Arne Jacobsen, Mogens Koch, Steen Eiler Rasmussen, and Jørgen Bo. In 1973, Gammelgaard established his own design practice, where he served as a consultant for the Technological Institute and UNESCO, undertaking projects in Samoa, Sri Lanka, and Sudan.