Jacob Amtorp — Architect & Furniture Designer
Jacob Amtorp is a Danish-born architect and furniture designer based in Fredrikstad, Norway. He is the founder of Amtorp Design, a studio specialising in furniture and product design.
Born in Copenhagen in 1963, Jacob grew up during the later years of Scandinavia's golden age of design, surrounded by modernist furniture and objects that shaped his early interest in design, craftsmanship and the relationship between form and function.
His professional background combines architecture, interior environments and furniture design. This experience informs a design approach that considers furniture not as an isolated object, but as part of the spaces and environments in which people live and work.
From Architecture to Furniture Design
Jacob's passion for design led him to the Danish Design Academy in 1985. He graduated in 1989 and subsequently completed four years of study at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen between 1991 and 1995.
For several decades, Jacob worked as an architect with Danish and Norwegian architecture and design studios. Working with buildings, interiors and spaces gave him extensive experience of designing for people at a larger scale.
Although his professional career initially moved away from product design, his interest in furniture and objects remained. In 2014, he founded Amtorp Design, returning his focus to furniture and product design.
Today, his work combines the architectural understanding of space and proportion with the more intimate scale of furniture.
Scandinavian Furniture Design
Scandinavian design and the functionalist movement of the early twentieth century remain important sources of inspiration for Jacob's work.
His furniture designs explore the relationship between function, proportion, materials and the human body, with an emphasis on creating objects that are useful, considered and visually coherent.
Rather than following a particular style, the design process begins with the requirements of each object: how it is used, how it is constructed, how materials behave and how the finished piece relates to its surroundings.
A fascination with materials, nature and mathematics, and the connections between them, runs throughout the design process.
His architectural background also plays an important role. Designing houses and spaces has influenced the way he approaches furniture — considering not only the object itself, but also the environment, people and activities surrounding it.
Design, Materials & Sustainability
Responsible use of resources has become an increasingly important part of the design process.
Jacob believes that consideration for the environment should be an integral part of contemporary product development, from the choice and use of materials through to production and the expected lifespan of a product.
The transition towards more sustainable production presents both a responsibility and an opportunity for designers to reconsider how furniture is conceived, manufactured and used.
Award-Winning Furniture Design
Jacob's furniture and product designs have received recognition from international design organisations and competitions.
Woodpecker
German Design Award — Winner, 2023
Woodpecker Collection
Red Dot Design Award — Winner, Furniture Design, 2023
Woodpecker Dining Chair
The Woodpecker collection was also published in the NIL Yearbook in 2021.
Tekla
SIT Furniture Design Award — Winner, Office Furniture, 2023
Mantis
Designverse Awards — Winner, Product Design, 2024
Mantis Dining Chair
The Mantis concept also received first prize in the Paustian Design Competition in 2000 for a home-office workdesk.
Buckle
Big See Product Design Award — Winner, Home Category, 2025
Buckle Dining Chair
Tropichair
Shortlisted — Nordic Council's Sustainable Chairs Competition, 2018
These projects represent different aspects of Jacob's approach to furniture design, from structural and material exploration to functional seating and sustainable product development.
Selected Design Collaborations
Amtorp Design has developed furniture and product designs in collaboration with manufacturers and design companies in Scandinavia, Europe and Asia.
Selected clients and collaborators include:
Scan Sørlie AS — Norway
Götessons Design Group — Sweden
Cadot Design — Denmark
Dan-Form A/S — Denmark
S2U Design ApS — Denmark
Dafi Company Ltd. — Vietnam
ScanCom Furniture Factory — Vietnam
Giulio Marelli — Italy
2•connect ApS — Denmark
Loca Design Furniture — Turkey
These collaborations span seating, tables, office furniture, outdoor furniture and complete furniture collections.
Professional Background
1985–1989
Studies at The School of Applied Arts, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts — School of Design. Diploma, 1989.
1991–1995
Four years of study at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts — School of Architecture.
1999–2014
Employed by Danish and Norwegian architecture and design studios.
2002–2008
Member of DD, the Association of Danish Designers.
2014
Founded Amtorp Design.
2019–present
Member of NIL, the Norwegian Association of Interior Designers and Furniture Designers.
Amtorp Design
Founded in 2014, Amtorp Design is the studio of architect and furniture designer Jacob Amtorp.
The studio works across furniture and product design, developing concepts and finished products in collaboration with manufacturers and design companies.
The portfolio includes chairs, seating collections, tables, outdoor furniture, lounge furniture, stools, lighting and other product designs.
The work is rooted in Scandinavian design traditions while remaining open to new materials, technologies and ways of using furniture.