Claus & Torsten Bonderup & Thorup

Thorup (b. 1944) & Bonderup (b. 1943)

Torsten Thorup  and Claus Bonderup both graduated from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture in 1969 and subsequently went to work together at Danish architect, Henning Larsen's studio. The two architects teamed up professionally and worked together for the majority of their careers. Together they've designed watches and in-store displays for Georg Jensen, the Arktikum museum in Finland and the harbour area in Elsinore, where they designed everything, from urban planning to the ticket offices.

One of the most famous works is the Semi lamp, designed in 1968 by both Thorup and Bonderup. Reacting against the 'cosy era' that was dominating Denmark at the time, Bonderup and Thorup wanted to create a lamp that incorporated sharp, clean lines and a geometric shape. Their design was submitted for a competition at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture and won first prize.