Acton Björn (1910-1992) was a Danish designer and architect. He was educated at the Art Academy in Copenhagen from 1931-33, and in 1933-34 participated in the construction of the Blidah residential buildings in Hellerup with Ivar Bentsen and George Berg. He partnered with Sigvard Bernadotte in 1950, creating in effect what was to become Denmark’s first studio for industrial design. His most well known designs were produced under this collaboration, a seminal series of melamine pouring/mixing bowl shapes called Margrethe which Dutch producer Rosti introduced to the marketplace in 1950. This design has endured well, and once again is in production. Björn’s work is vast, ranging from architecture to beer bottles, everyday tools to packaging, and electric irons and calculators to hospital toilet seats. In the 1960s he designed a sleek, yet under-appreciated stainless flatware service for Lundtofte in the Danish Modern tradition. From 1966-90 he led the Acton Bjørn studio single-handedly. Björn worked in Copenhagen for the majority, if not all, of his career. He passed away in 1992 at age 82. Acton Bjorn also helped design the Bang & Olufsen Pickup Arm ST with Erik Rorbaek Madsen and helped develop the design skills of both Jacob Jensen and Jan Trägård.
More about Acton Bjorn & Sigvard Bernadotte Partnership.
The brand names Bang & Olufsen, B&O, trade mark and many of the product names and details together with on-site photographs are the property and copyright of Bang & Olufsen. The information on this website is provided only as a guide to Bang & Olufsen collectors and enthusiasts of the marque.