Finn Juhl

b. Frederiksberg 1912, d. Ordrup 1989

Sculptural Shapes

Finn Juhl (1912–1989) originally trained as an architect, but it was furniture design and interior design that would become his profession. Working with his long-standing collaborator, cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Juhl created some of the most iconic pieces in Danish design history, based on pioneering methods and techniques – furniture that is now valuable collectors’ items and museum pieces.

The Poet Sofa and the Array of FJ Chairs
Juhl differed from many of his peers in his opposition to an overly narrow understanding of contemporary ideas about functionality: “Functionalism is an idiotic word that merely alludes to certain geometric surfaces and lines. It does not cover the modern pursuit of the right form.” For Finn Juhl, the functionality could not stand alone. This is evidenced by his iconic “Pelican Chair” (1940), “the Poet Sofa” (1941), the “FJ 45” armchair (1945) and the “Japan Chair” (1957).

The UN, the House on Kratvænget and Ordrupgaard
In 1951, Finn Juhl designed the interior of the Trusteeship Council chamber at the UN Headquarters in New York, and in 1956–61, he designed interiors for SAS ticket offices in Europe and Asia as well as the interior of their DC-8 aircraft. Together with his wife Inge-Marie Skaarup, Finn Juhl built the house at Kratvænget 15 in Ordrup in 1942. It opened in 2008 as part of Ordrupgaard’s exhibition. With a marked openness in his design, Finn Juhl turned his attention to modern, free art. He renewed Danish furniture design and was one of the first Danish furniture designers to achieve international recognition.
Finn Juhl: "The Dream Table". Made to order 1945 by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder. Hammer price: DKK 580,000.