45 Armchair

In the autumn of 1945, Finn Juhl presented the 45 Chair at the annual Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition. Today, the chair is widely regarded as one of the most revolutionary and iconic pieces in Danish furniture design. Finn Juhl's dream of studying art history shines through in the bold design of the 45 Chair, showcasing his deep understanding of international contemporary art. The chair is crafted from oak or walnut and can be upholstered with textile or leather.

On the 45 Chair the space between the frame and the seat creates a lightness, which combined with its organic shape and sublime detailing, ensures unique beauty and floating elegance. The chair appeals to all senses and pleases the eye and body alike. Furthermore, the 45 Chair has been called “the mother of all modern chairs” by the Japanese professor and design collector Mr. Noritsugu Oda.

The groundbreaking 45 Chair became the prelude to the unfolding of Finn Juhl’s characteristic style of design that we know from the latter part of the 1940s. During this period, his designs are characterized exactly by liberating the seat and backrest as a single unit carried by the frame. This approach became a defining moment in establishing Finn Juhl’s status as a pioneer within furniture design.

“Most interesting about the exhibition is probably Finn Juhl's work. After many years of experiments, we now see a clarified result. Finn Juhl does not design on a refinement of traditions but has instead logically solved functions and therefrom shaped furniture on his terms. In the early years, Finn Juhl’s attempts seemed exaggerated, but now it is so much more interesting to observe the result he has achieved by going his own ways. Most beautiful is an armchair, where the frame is organically shaped as a bone, able to support the muscles of an arm and the weight of a body. The expression of the chair is reminiscent of a weapon, sharpened by human hands.”

- Erik Herløw, Architect, 1945