Manufacturer: Carl Hansen & Søn | Designer: Arne Jacobsen, 1952
A Desk Designed as a Complete Composition
The AJ52 Society Table was designed in 1952 for the American-Scandinavian Foundation's New York office — a commission that asked Jacobsen to furnish an entire room, not just fill it. The result is one of his most considered pieces: a writing desk that treats every element as part of a single, resolved idea.
The leather-wrapped top sits on a slender tubular metal frame, its proportions precise and unhurried. A conical desk lamp in brushed stainless steel, a glass-fronted letter compartment, and a six-drawer unit suspended from fine metal tubes complete the composition — each element an extension of the same quiet logic. The solid-wood feet and slim frame give the desk its characteristic sense of weightlessness, a quality Jacobsen returned to throughout his career.
Six wood finishes are available — Oak Oil, Oak White Oil, Oak Black, Oak Clear Lacquer, Walnut Oil, and Walnut Lacquer — each shifting the desk's character from pale Scandinavian restraint to something richer and more formal. The optional accessories are not afterthoughts: the drawer unit, lamp, and letter compartment were conceived alongside the desk and work best as a set.
Craftsmanship & Finish
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Dimensions — W140 × D70 × H72cm (desk surface); H130cm with lamp module
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Top — Leather-wrapped
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Frame — Tubular metal, solid-wood feet
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Finishes — Oak Oil, Oak White Oil, Oak Black, Oak Clear Lacquer, Walnut Oil, Walnut Lacquer
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Optional accessories — Tabletop compartment, conical desk lamp, six-drawer unit (left or right mount)
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Also available — W160 × D70cm
Please note: Solid wood is a living material that gives and absorbs moisture from its surroundings. To prevent cracks, please avoid sudden changes in humidity and temperature. Cracks caused by desiccation are not covered under warranty. The leather top will develop a patina with use — wipe with a dry or lightly damp cloth and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Part of the Carl Hansen Home Office collection.
