Finn Juhl at the UN

This book tells the story of the Trusteeship Council Chamber, designed by Denmark’s Finn Juhl and inaugurated in 1952 at United Nations Headquarters. It is the story of Juhl’s original total work of art, of how it was carefully restored, and how it has become a splendid example of a living cultural legacy. The chamber was recreated but also revitalized, with new furniture designed by the Danish duo Salto & Sigsgaard.

The book begins with a foreword by the American architect Michael Sheridan, one of the world’s leading authorities on Scandinavian architecture and design. The Danish architecture critic Karsten R.S. Ifversen’s essay centers on how Finn Juhl’s room is experienced today and the interplay between Juhl’s interior and Salto & Sigsgaard’s modern furniture. The historical review by Birgit Lyngbye Pedersen describes the genesis of the project and how Finn Juhl made his entrance on the American scene thanks to this prestigious commission at the UN.

The Trusteeship Council Chamber is now part of Denmark’s cultural heritage, restored and updated with modern Danish design.

The book is richly illustrated with both historical material and Hans Ole Madsen’s new photographs of the chamber today.