Frits Schlegel (4 May 1896 - 5 March 1965) was a Functionalist Danish architect active during the transition from traditional craftsmanship to industrialized construction methods in the building industry. He was among the first architects in Denmark to experiment with poured-in-place concrete.[1] His work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[2]
Schlegel was born in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. He completed an apprenticeship as a mason in 1915 and studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1916 to 1923, winning the small gold medal in 1924 (for a stadium design) and the large gold medal in 1927 (for a university in Aarhus).[3] After working at the offices of Edward Thomsen (1916 - 34) and Gudmund Nyeland Brandt (from 1920), Schlegel set up his own office in 1934 which he operated until his death in 1965.[4]
His early works show inspiration from the French architect Auguste Perret.[1] His most important works include Tivoli Concert Hall in the Tivoli Gardens, Mariebjerg Chapel and Overformynderiet in Copenhagen.
Particularly in the 1930s, Schlegel also designed a number of furniture lines with inspiration from the Bauhaus movement.