Royal Danish Embassy
Credit: Matthew Paul D’ Agostino
Royal Danish Embassy
Credit: Matthew Paul D’ Agostino
20th century. Though trained as an architect, he is best known for his lighting fixtures, including one that won first prize in lighting at the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris. The Artichoke Pendant Lamp wasn’ t designed until 1958, but it remains popular, despite a hefty price starting at about $ 21,000.
Another Danish classic on display here is the Wishbone Chair, created by Hans Wegner, a major 20th-century Danish designer. Named for its V-shaped back, the curved and tapered chair features a woven rattan seat and is available in various wood finishes.
3338 M St. NW; 202-339-9480; dwr. com; open daily
The Royal Danish Embassy
Not surprisingly, one of the best places to see excellent Danish design is in the ambassador’ s residence at Denmark’ s embassy. But timing is key. European Union member countries open their doors to the public in early May for the annual EU Open House.( It’ s on May 9 in 2026.) Considered Washington’ s first modern embassy, it was completed in 1960 and connected the embassy to the ambassador’ s residence.
An embassy building should reflect the values and traditions of its country, reasoned then-ambassador Henrik Kauffmann. To that end, the new Danish embassy, built on a hilltop overlooking the heavily wooded Dumbarton Oaks Park, would be dignified yet unpretentious— kind of like the Danes themselves. Its modernist style, designed by Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, features clean horizontal lines, plenty of glass, and Greenlandic marble.
The residence connects to the embassy through a glass corridor. Danish artworks decorate the walls. The furniture features vintage Danish design. Dazzling chandeliers, in the small and large living rooms and dining room, were specially made for the space by Lauritzen. Each chandelier consists of more than 100 glass bells that look like cocktail glasses. Lore has it that Danish actor Victor Borge once visited the residence and asked,“ Mr. Ambassador, aren’ t your cocktail glasses upside down?”
Furnishings include designs by Finn Juhl, who established a presence in the U. S. when Michigan furniture manufacturer Hollis Baker invited him to create Danish modern pieces for the company in the early 1950s. The result sparked an American appreciation for Danish design. Also in the residence are the iconic Egg and Swan chairs by Arne Jacobsen, along with the Pelican Chair by Juhl. On the terrace between the residence and the embassy, a wall of ceramic birds native to Denmark receives a whimsical treatment by sculptor Henrik Starcke.
3200 Whitehaven Pkwy NW; usa. um. dk
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