Max Brüel (14 July 1927 – 31 March 1995) was a Danish architect, jazz musician, and painter. He is known both for his architectural work—most notably as the designer of Herlev Hospital, Denmark's tallest building—and for his contributions to Danish modern jazz as a pianist, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist.
Life and career
Brüel was born in Hillerød, Denmark, into an artistic family; his father, Axel Brüel, was a ceramist and painter, and his mother, Tove Elisabeth Leidersdorff, was also a ceramist. He learned piano as a child and began attending jazz concerts early on. By the late 1940s, he had become a fixture of the Copenhagen jazz scene and was among the pioneers of bebop in Denmark. He initially played alto saxophone, then baritone saxophone from 1951, and later tenor saxophone from 1957.
In 1954, Brüel performed at the Paris Jazz Festival, and in 1957 at the Dortmund Jazz Festival, where he recorded with guitarist Attila Zoller and bassist Gary Peacock. He also played and recorded with musicians such as Finn Savery, Erik Moseholm, and John Tchicai (on the latter's Cadentia Nova Danica and Afrodisiaca albums in the late 1960s).
Architecture
After graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (architecture school under Palle Suenson) in 1950, Brüel worked as an architect. In 1956, he co-founded an architectural firm with Gehrdt Bornebusch, Henning Larsen, and Jørgen Selchau, which designed numerous public buildings. The firm's most famous project was Herlev Hospital (1967–1976) in Copenhagen, which at 120 meters was Denmark's tallest building until 2022. Other notable works include schools in Søllerød, Roskilde, Birkerød, and Horsens, as well as the chapel crematorium in Glostrup (1962). From 1970 to 1983, he partnered with architect Jørgen Groth.
In 1983, Brüel moved to Portugal, where he focused on painting and drawing.
Awards
- Træprisen (1966)
- Eckersberg Medal (1973)
Personal life
Brüel was married to actress and singer Birgit Brüel from 1951 to 1962, with whom he had twin daughters, Sanne Brüel (a singer) and Rebecca Brüel. In 1966, he married writer and translator Elsebeth Petersen. He died on 31 March 1995 in Algarve, Portugal, at age 67.
