CULT CHAIR
Danish architect Finn Juhl was an innovator, creating chic furniture that still looks fresh today. SOPHIE HANNAM discovers the man who brought mid-century modern to the masses
This dining chair, designed by Finn Juhl, is elegant, sophisticated and utterly cool. Four, please!
A s Danish designer Finn Juhl (1912-1989) once said: ‘One cannot create happiness with beautiful objects, but one can spoil quite a lot of happiness with bad ones.’ With an eye for the sculptural and organic, the influence of Finn Juhl’s revolutionary furniture creations is one of the best-kept secrets in the mid- century modern movement. Although often overlooked by the success of fellow Danish designers Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner, Juhl’s remarkable and avant-garde creations stand as a cornerstone of mid 20th- century Danish design.
SCULPTURAL FORM
From a young age, Juhl had a passion for art and he originally aspired to study history of art at university, with a view to becoming an art historian. Seeing this as a ‘flimsy’ choice, Juhl’s father insisted that he pursue a career as an architect instead – and, obeying his father’s wishes, Juhl soon enrolled to study at the School of Architecture, within the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
After graduating, Juhl worked for 10 years with leading Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, where he was assigned several high-profile projects, including the interior design for Denmark’s leading radio broadcasting corporation. In 1943 he received the prestigious CF Hansen prize for young architects, and set up his own interior and furniture design firm, where he finally had free rein to fabricate furniture in his own individual style.
Juhl’s early creations were divisive, and received mixed reviews from consumers. His first commercial design in 1940 was the surreal ‘Pelican Chair’: an unusual take on the padded wingback armchair with hooked arms to envelop the body and sturdy wooden legs. It caused a stir among critics, with one particularly testy reviewer describing its atypical form like that of a ‘tired walrus’.
The architect’s techniques for designing furniture were largely self-taught, and he reveled in the sense of relaxed elegance that he could create with organic and unusual shapes. In spite of the mixed reception of his ‘ Pelican Chair’, Juhl caught the eye of American architect Edgar Kaufmann Jr in 1948, who published a large article in Interiors magazine, introducing Juhl’s talent to an international market. Following on from this, in 1950, Juhl exhibited his furniture in Chicago, and the cool contours of his signature creations quickly developed a cult following.
JUHL’S HOUSE
Between 1941 and 1942, Juhl designed, built and furnished his own home in Copenhagen. The ultimate embodiment of his creative vision, the house is a slick and streamlined bungalow. Juhl managed every single aspect of it, from the simple exterior to the coloured upholstery. Adjacent to Ordrupgaard Park, the property is bathed in natural light and is the perfect setting for Juhl’s original designs and extensive art collection. A champion of open-plan living, the rooms blur together seamlessly. His airy living room (pictured above) is particularly iconic and features his ‘Poet’ sofa and ‘Chieftain’ chair, plus a romantic ode to his partner, Hanne Wilhelm Hansen, painted by Vilhelm Lundstrom. Juhl lived in this house up until his death in 1989, and it was later restored and donated to Copenhagen’s Ordrupgaard Museum. It opened to the public in 2008.
* Finn Juhl’s house reopens to visitors in 2019. + 45 39 64 11 83; ordrupgaard. dk