Jørn Utzon

Born: 1918 - Dead: 2008
Best known work: The Sydney Opera House, Water Tower in Svaneke, Langelinie pavilion, The National Museum in Copenhagen, Utzon JU1 pendant from &tradition, Concert pendant from Lightyears and the Opera pendant from Lightyears
Education: Architect                                                  

History
Jørn Utzon was born in Copenhagen, but when he was 1, his family moved to Aalborg. He is mostly famous for the Sydney Opera House, but he also designed some beautiful lamps, for example the Utzon Pendant, the Concert Pendant and the Opera Pendant.

His father was a well renowned engineer of ships at the factory in Aalborg, and he was famous for precision and detailing of his design, a technique that Jørn Utzon was inspired by in his own designs.  

In 1930 Jørn Utzon went with his family to the Stockholm Exhibition, and that became a turning point for the young kid and the place where he first laid eyes on the style of functionalism.

In 1937 Jørn Utzon started his education as an architect at Copenhagen Art Academy and finished in 1942. Later that year, the Germans occupied Denmark during the war, and Jørn Utzon fled to Sweden, which at that point already housed famous designers, such as Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen, Halldor Gunnløgsson, Tobias Faber and many more. The Nordic functionalism of their town Asplund, inspired them all and they worked at the Alvar Aaltos drawing studio.

After the German surrender in 1945, Utzon wanted to help re-build Europe, and he started with some small temporary houses in Holland.

In 1956 Jørn Utzon designed the Sydney Opera House, which still today is a beacon of modern and experimental design.

In between all the wonderful buildings, Utzon also found the time to design some very popular and beautiful lamps.