The Wall Sofa Aubertin | Finn Juhl | 1951
In 1951, Finn Juhl designed an extra-long version of his asymmetrical and sculptural Wall Sofa for a private villa for the timber merchant W. F. Aubertin. The Wall Sofa Aubertin, which can accommodate up to six people, has been relaunched at Museum Jorn in Silkeborg, Denmark. The sofa is mounted directly to the wall. The frame consists of powder-coated steel tubes in light gray and the sofa is hand-upholstered in textile in Denmark.
The Wall Sofa Aubertin | Finn Juhl | 1951
In 1951, Finn Juhl designed an extra-long version of his asymmetrical and sculptural Wall Sofa for a private villa for the timber merchant W. F. Aubertin. The Wall Sofa Aubertin, which can accommodate up to six people, has been relaunched at Museum Jorn in Silkeborg, Denmark. The sofa is mounted directly to the wall. The frame consists of powder-coated steel tubes in light gray and the sofa is hand-upholstered in textile in Denmark.
Please note that the versions shown here represent only a selection of the many available options. For a complete overview of colors and materials, please explore the material page.
Upholstery
Watercolour
-
Oatmeal / Stripes
Sunniva
-
0183 / 0242
Product information
- Design:
- Finn Juhl
- Year:
-
1951, relaunched in 2025
- Materials:
-
Powder-coated steel tubes in light gray
- Upholstery:
- Textile
- Model and dimensions:
- FJ 5010
- W: 326 cm | D: 82 cm | H: 98,5 cm | Seat Height: 40 cm FJ 5010 (high backrest in the right side) and FJ 5011 (high backrest in the left side)
Photo: Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum (NKM)
The Wall Sofa Aubertin
From Art Museum to Private Villa
Finn Juhl's wall-mounted sofa is the epitome of groundbreaking Danish design, and the shorter and more well-known version has been on permanent display at the National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum) in Trondheim, Norway, since 1952. That year, Finn Juhl was commissioned by art historian and museum director Thorvald Krohn-Hansen to design an exhibition space for modern furniture and crafts that reflected the interior design trends of the time. The interior included the organically shaped sofa, which demonstrates both Finn Juhl's fascination with modern abstract art and his desire to defy gravity and create a sense of movement in his designs.
In 1952 Finn Juhl designed the long version of the Wall Sofa Aubertin to Villa Aubertin and is located in Nakskov, Denmark. The photograph below shows the living room in Villa Aubertin where the Wall Sofa is displayed alongside two 45 Chairs and custom-designed hanging cabinets facing the dining area.
Photo: Aage Strüwing © Jørgen Strüwing
Relaunch of the long version
The Wall Sofa Aubertin at Museum Jorn
Finn Juhl went on to use the Wall Sofa in several interiors, but the extra-long version of the sofa has never been in continuous production, before today. The Wall Sofa Aubertin is relaunched at Museum Jorn in a dedicated space that serves as the museum's interpretation of the room at the National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Trondheim—both in terms of color scheme, furnishings, and art.
At Museum Jorn, in the city of Silkeborg, the long version of the Wall Sofa is presented alongside other Finn Juhl pieces in an elegant corner where the design connects with both the nature and the architecture. Meanwhile, the room's interior embodies the democratic ideal of making art and craftsmanship accessible to all—just as Asger Jorn himself aspired to.
Finn Juhl's fully upholstered furniture from the 1940s and early 1950s is highly original. No other designer took such a radical approach, translating the modern sculptural language of the time into furniture art with an almost surreal sense of form.
Like many of Finn Juhl's other designs, the Wall Sofa received a mixed reception when it was first introduced to the public. Norwegian master cabinetmaker Erling Mobeck was particularly critical of its unconventional form. He wrote: "At one end, the backrest was sharply elevated with a pronounced curve. When looking at such a piece, one inevitably asks: What is the intention?".
The asymmetrical upholstered backrest floats—almost like a René Magritte-inspired cloud—above the equally floating seat, both supported and connected by an almost invisible frame. The unique shape of the backrest is designed to accommodate the human body, allowing for comfortable sitting or reclining in multiple ways.
The sofa selected for the special room at Museum Jorn is upholstered in custom-woven Watercolour textile in stripes on the seat and 'Oatmeal' on the back. The textile is designed by Lykke Kjær and color-coordinated according to Finn Juhl's color palette. The textile is woven by Kjellerup Væveri.
