The Hulsø Shelf elegantly forms a backdrop for the objects on display, while also being an artistic element in itself.
The Hulsø Shelf's organic silhouette becomes more pronounced when multiple shelves are arranged together in a formation.
The History Behind The Relaunch
The Holistic Approach
Although Finn Juhl is primarily known for his sculptural furniture, his talents were not confined to this area alone. Trained as an architect, he excelled in creating magnificent, holistic exhibitions and interiors. A notable example is his iconic work for the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York in 1952. Finn Juhl himself used the term "Gesamtkunstwerk" to describe a cohesive space where each element contributes to the overall experience.
Finn Juhl's original drawing of the interior at Magister W. Andersen's home in Hulsø Ege, Rungsted. Photograph by Pernille Klemp, Design Museum Denmark.
It was this holistic approach that led Finn Juhl to design the shelf that House of Finn Juhl has named Hulsø. During a review of the drawing archive, a wave-shaped shelf with beautiful details was discovered, initially part of an interior design for the "winter garden" for Magister W. Andersen in Hulsø Ege, Rungsted, Denmark. This specific interior, including the shelf, is illustrated in two of Finn Juhl's original watercolors, and there is also a detailed technical drawing of the shelf dated 1949. The colourful interior also features Finn Juhl's bold Wall Sofa and his most famous furniture piece, the Chieftain Chair, designed in the same year.
There is some mystery surrounding the original context of the shelf: The house in Hulsø Ege, Rungsted, dating back to 1917, still exists, but no further information about Finn Juhl's 1949 interior project has been found. Nevertheless, Finn Juhl's precise drawing has enabled House of Finn Juhl to recreate and now launch the Hulsø Shelf - 75 years after it was first designed.
