Claus Bonderup & Torsten Thorup
Versatile designers with international appeal.
Danish designers Claus Bonderup & Torsten Thorup have collaborated on everything from international architecture to innovative lighting.
Claus Bonderup (1943–2022) and Torsten Thorup (b.1944) are regarded as some of the most prolific post-modern designers, leaving their mark on everything from architecture and international design projects to industrial design. At their shared studio, Torsten Thorup & Claus Bonderup Arkitekter MAA MDD, they completed many successful projects over a number of years, particularly in the areas of housing, hotels and interior retail design in Denmark and abroad.
The design style in Bonderup & Thorup’s projects is distinguished by its simplicity and functionality with an international appeal. They travelled the world together to complete their projects, and it is notably this international experience that has influenced many of their designs. They infused their work with a straightforward style focused on details and meticulous expression.
Claus Bonderup grew up in Aalborg and Torsten Thorup was born and raised in Copenhagen. Despite growing up at opposite ends of the country, they found a common approach to design. Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture (now the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, and Conservation) in 1969. After completing their studies, they were both employed by Henning Larsen Architects, where they worked for a number of years.
Bonderup and Thorup established a design studio together in 1985, which marked the beginning of a highly productive partnership that lasted until 1992. During this period, they designed single-family dwellings, holiday homes and hotels and carried out urban planning projects across most of the world. The Arktikum Science Museum in Rovaniemi, Finland, is considered one of Bonderup and Thorup’s most momentous works. They also created a number of industrial design products, such as watches, furniture, and lamps.
In 1992, Thorup established his own architectural firm, where he has created a number of projects of international renown, ranging from skyscrapers in Kuwait to art museums in Scandinavia, and he is still an active architect to this day. Bonderup founded his architectural firm in 1993 and worked as both an architect and professor until his death in 2022.
Their creative partnership led to exhibitions at venues such as MoMA and Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in Osaka, Japan. The two designers have also received several international awards for their projects. These include the then German Die Gute Industrieform and the French design award Form Utile, as well as the Nordic Design Prize.
“We based our work on a ‘for fun’ principle, which is a simpler way of saying ‘formalism and functionalism’ – with a weft of poetry,”
says Torsten Thorup, describing Bonderup and Thorup’s approach to design.
Our designers
Hans J. Wegner
Danish furniture designer Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) is considered one of the most creative, innovative, and prolific designers of all times, renowned for his precision, great insight into craftsmanship and uncompromising approach to design.
Anker Bak
Designer and cabinetmaker Anker Bak (b. 1983) is known for his problem-solving and human-centric design approach.
Arne Jacobsen
One of Denmark's best-known and most respected architects, Arne Jacobsen has become synonymous with modernism throughout the world. His precise yet expressive aesthetic continues to serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary designers.
Bodil Kjær
Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær has significantly contributed to the spread of Danish Modern design principles through her travels, knowledge gathering and promotion of the relationship between design and architecture.
Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon is an American designer born in 1977. He entered the art and design world at a young age. His grandfather, a sculptor and industrial designer, and his father, a renowned artist, encouraged a passion for design, craftsmanship and materials that would last.
Børge Mogensen
Cabinetmaker and designer Børge Mogensen (1914-1972) created durable and simple furniture with a focus on people and is today regarded as one of the most influential representatives of Danish Modern.
EOOS
The design studio EOOS, founded by Martin Bergmann (b. 1963), Gernot Bohmann (b. 1968) and Harald Gründl (b. 1967), enjoys a reputation for its poetic approach to design.
Frits Henningsen
Frits Henningsen was an uncompromising designer known for his perfectionism and vibrant personality. He gave new expression to traditional designs and viewed quality craftsmanship as essential. Unlike most cabinetmakers, he always designed his own furniture pieces.
Kaare Klint
Kaare Klint is recognized as the father of modern Danish design and a renowned furniture designer, educator, and visionary. He insisted on clear, logical design, clean lines, the best materials, and superb craftsmanship, as seen in his iconic Safari Chair from 1933.
Larsen & Bender Madsen
Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen designed around 300 works, including the Metropolitan Chair. While the chair was their favorite object, they also made other pieces from bedroom suites to bookshelves. The results were always simple and timeless.
Linie Design
Linie Design, a Danish design company, was founded in 1980 and since then has specialized in the development of handmade rugs in elegant designs and of the highest quality materials.
Mads Odgård
The Danish industrial designer Mads Odgård (b. 1960) is known for his minimalist design approach with straight lines, geometric shapes and rationalism.
Mogens Lassen
Architect Mogens Lassen created works rooted in cubist architectural ideals inspired by Le Corbusier. Considered a pioneer of functionalism in Denmark, Lassen’s designs showcased his ability to express ideas through diverse materials.
Morten Gøttler
Born in Copenhagen, and originally trained in shipping, Morten Gøttler became a self-taught designer and architect recognized for his exceptional understanding of wood and strong belief that innovation is the foundation for successful design.
Nanna Ditzel
Her desire to explore spaces and experiment with techniques on the edge of what is possible led Nanna Ditzel – one of Danish design’s most distinctive personalities – to become acquainted with the entire design universe.
Ole Wanscher
Ole Wanscher was integral to the aesthetic and functionality of modern Danish design. Having studied under Kaare Klint, he helped shape Danish furniture design as a designer and as an educator when he took over Klint’s professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Poul Kjærholm
Poul Kjærholm mixed his strict, modern idiom with superior quality and materials rooted in Danish craftsmanship traditions. Despite his short career as a furniture designer, Kjærholm’s craftsmanship and clear expression resulted in timeless designs with a global influence.
Fabricius & Kastholm
Function and minimalism were the watchwords for Danish designers Preben Fabricius (1931–1984) and Jørgen Kastholm (1931–2007), when this design duo created a wide collection of design-led furniture and lighting of international renown.
Rikke Frost
Rikke Frost (b.1973) is recognised for her profound knowledge of materials and for how she combines different craft traditions. This is clearly reflected in her portfolio of designs, where contemporary and traditional design axioms and materials converge in organically styled furniture and lighting.
Strand & Hvass
The Strand + Hvass duo is part of a new breed of Danish designers whose work continues in a direct line from their celebrated predecessors. With the Extend Table design, they infused the modern Danish furniture tradition with a bold new expression.
Tadao Ando
Japanese architect Tadao Ando bases his work on a design philosophy that unites Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression. Inspired by Le Corbusier, Ando’s style is minimalistic and innovative, with a focus on functionality.
Thomas Bo Kastholm
Thomas Bo Kastholm creates designs that unite diverse materials into compelling compositions with clear purpose. The TK8 Daybed, with its close ties to the core principles of classic, modern Danish design, exemplifies Kastholm’s ideals.
When you choose a product from Carl Hansen & Søn, you get more than just a piece of furniture. You will become part of a long and proud tradition of beautiful and distinctive craftsmanship where nothing is left to chance. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner, and we also produce furniture created by renowned furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Børge Mogensen, Ole Wanscher, Kaare Klint, Poul Kjærholm, Bodil Kjær and Tadao Ando. Carl Hansen & Søn represents more than 100 years of Danish design history, and our furniture is sold worldwide.
* Five-year warranty on indoor furniture. Two-year warranty on outdoor furniture
