Peter Hvidt
Encyclopedia
Peter Hvidt was a Danish architect and furniture designer, co-founder of Hvidt & Mølgaard
.
in 1916, the son of L. N. Hvidt, president of the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court
. After completing his training at the Design School in Copenhagen, he worked at various design frims before setting up his own studio in 1942. In 1944 he opened the Hvidt & Mølgaard
studio which he ran with Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
until 1975. They created a number of pioneering sets of furniture including Portex (1945) and Ax (1950), using a laminated technique for production by Fritz Hansen
. The chairs were specially designed for export, economizing on space and packaging requirements for transportation.
Hvidt & Mølgaard increasingly took on architectural assignments (from 1970 together with Hans Kristensen). Projects covered office buildings and factories, including the De Danske Sukkerfabrikker building in Copenhagen (1958), as well as collective housing projects in Søllerød
, Hillerød
and Birkerød
(1962-1970), all completed in a light, clear and simple style. The firm also acted as consultents on the new Little Belt Bridge (1970) (1970) and the Vejle Fjord Bridge (1980), playing an important part in the success of their designs.
in Milan
in 1951 and 1954. His works are represented at the MOMO
in New York
, the National Gallery
in Melbourne
and the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen.
Hvidt & Mølgaard
Hvidt & Mølgaard was a Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm which existed from 1944 until 2007. Founded by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, it continued to thrive after the founders' retirement but was split in two in 2007, forming Hvidt Arkitekter and Holsøe...
.
Biography
Hvidt was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1916, the son of L. N. Hvidt, president of the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court
Maritime and Commercial Court (Denmark)
Maritime and Commercial Court is a specialized Danish court with jurisdiction over cases involving commercial law and maritime law. It was founded in 1961 and is based in Bredgade in Copenhagen....
. After completing his training at the Design School in Copenhagen, he worked at various design frims before setting up his own studio in 1942. In 1944 he opened the Hvidt & Mølgaard
Hvidt & Mølgaard
Hvidt & Mølgaard was a Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm which existed from 1944 until 2007. Founded by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, it continued to thrive after the founders' retirement but was split in two in 2007, forming Hvidt Arkitekter and Holsøe...
studio which he ran with Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen
Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen was a Danish architect and furniture designer. After training at the Aalborg Technical School and at the Art and Crafts School of the Design Museum in Copenhagen , Mølgaard-Nielsen studied furniture design under Kaare Klint at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts...
until 1975. They created a number of pioneering sets of furniture including Portex (1945) and Ax (1950), using a laminated technique for production by Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen
Fritz Hansen, also known as Republic of Fritz Hansen is a Danish furniture design company. Designers who have worked for Fritz Hansen include: Arne Jacobsen , Poul Kjærholm , Hans J. Wegner , and Piet Hein...
. The chairs were specially designed for export, economizing on space and packaging requirements for transportation.
Hvidt & Mølgaard increasingly took on architectural assignments (from 1970 together with Hans Kristensen). Projects covered office buildings and factories, including the De Danske Sukkerfabrikker building in Copenhagen (1958), as well as collective housing projects in Søllerød
Søllerød
Until January 1, 2007, Søllerød was a municipality in Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 39.77 km², and had a total population of 31,920...
, Hillerød
Hillerød
Hillerød Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden . The municipality covers an area of 191 km² , and has a total population of 46,568...
and Birkerød
Birkerød
Birkerød is a town and was a municipality in Frederiksborg County on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark...
(1962-1970), all completed in a light, clear and simple style. The firm also acted as consultents on the new Little Belt Bridge (1970) (1970) and the Vejle Fjord Bridge (1980), playing an important part in the success of their designs.
Recognition
Hvidt received the Diplome d'Honneur at the TriennaleTriennale
La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue in Milan, Italy, located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events which highlight contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture,...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1951 and 1954. His works are represented at the MOMO
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the National Gallery
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen.