Council Chair

Design by
Salto & Sigsgaard

Year
2011

The Council Chair, designed in 2011 by Kasper Salto & Thomas Sigsgaard, was specifically designed for the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. The chair is well-thought out, shaped with the human body in mind and made in form-pressed patented 3D veneer in oak or walnut. The chair is upholstered in leather or textile.

Technical information

General Info
Design by: Salto & Sigsgaard
Year: 2011
Dimensions:

W 66cm x D 60cm x H 85cm
Seat height: 47cm

Specifications
Model and materials:

KT 8013
Seat and back: 3D veneer, oak or walnut w/upholstery inside.
Legs: Cast, polished aluminium incl. swivel.
Upholstery: Textile or leather.

KT 8014 (fully upholstered)
Seat and back: 3D veneer, fully upholstered.
Legs: Cast, polished aluminium incl. swivel.
Upholstery: Textile or leather.

2D Drawing

The Council Chair

The Council Chair, by Kasper Salto and Thomas Sigsgaard, is a meticulously crafted chair. The chair is thoughtfully shaped to provide ultimate comfort, utilizing form-pressed patented 3D veneer technology, tailored to support the human body throughout even the longest of days.

Moreover, the Council Chair beautifully complements refined architecture and well-designed interiors, making it an ideal choice for executive offices, VIP conference facilities, hotels, restaurants, as well as private use in dining and workspaces. Available in oak or walnut, the chair features careful upholstery options in fabric or leather, seated on a base of molded foam. For a uniform expression, the chair can be ordered fully upholstered. The chair’s elegant 4-star swivel base is made of cast aluminum with a polished finish.

The Council Chair: A Chair for the United Nations

Council is not just another chair. Council is a design process that took its point of departure in New York City 10 years ago.

Kasper Salto & Thomas Sigsgaard, who make up the design duo Salto & Sigsgaard, entered the winning bid in a 2011 design competition to partially refurbish the interior of the Trusteeship Council Chamber (also known as the Finn Juhl Chamber) at the UN headquarters in New York. The chamber has been repurposed multiple times and it is today the most heavily used, in which all UN members are represented.

The competition was issued by The Danish Arts Foundation for Crafts and Design under the Ministry of Culture, as the UN headquarters were to undergo an extensive restoration and modernization. As part of this endeavor, the State of Denmark decided to contribute to the restoration of the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Denmark had donated the interior of the original chamber at the inauguration of the UN headquarters between 1950 – 1952. The Finn Juhl Chamber is perceived to be one of the three most important pieces of Danish cultural heritage outside of Denmark – on par with Utzon’s opera house in Sydney and Von Spreckelsen’s Grande Arche in Paris.

Originally, the Danish architect Finn Juhl had been appointed to design the interior of the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Alongside the Security Council Chamber and Economic and Social Council Chamber these three chambers make up the permanent council chambers of the conference building facing the East River. The interior of the Trusteeship Council Chamber is from 1951 and it became a highlight of Finn Juhl’s career, as it simultaneously marks his international breakthrough as an architect and designer. His work was complete in every facet and extremely well executed. Walls, floors, ceilings, installations, curtains, furniture, colours and materials were all carefully curated by Finn Juhl, down to every minute detail – which rightfully earned the chamber the status of a so-called “Gesamtkunstwerk”.

As part of the restoration, five Danish designers were invited to partake in a competition to create the next secretariat chairs and delegates tables for the Finn Juhl Chamber, while 260 original Finn Juhl meeting chairs were produced for the delegates by Onecollection / House of Finn Juhl. The overall objective of the competition was to contribute new and exciting Danish design to the restoration of the chamber, while respecting Finn Juhl’s interior concept.

Salto & Sigsgaard’s winning bid adheres to the overall context of the chamber, while adding a new dimension. The well thought out functionality and beautifully shaped appearance of the Council Chair supports Finn Juhl’s original thought process, revolving around a functional entirety that appears delicate, inviting and soothing to the senses. These attributes are especially important in a chamber that unites nations and provides a forum for discussing pivotal topics such as war, peace and the UN Global Goals.

The Council Chair in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations in New York.

Configure

Explore materials and colours
Please note that when using the configurator actual colours and materials may vary due to different screen balances and settings. Also, the versions shown in the configurator are supposed to be viewed only as examples as more materials are available for ordering.
“People ask us what is especially Danish about this chair. Apart from the light Nordic colour and our love of using wood, we also think it has to do with our approach: We put a lot of effort into assembling all possible influences of the assignment before giving it shape. By doing so, we had a good chance of making something useful and relevant.” – Kasper Salto about the development of the Council Chair for the United Nations

Kasper Salto & Thomas Sigsgaard

Since 2003 Kasper and Thomas have worked together, from their studio in Copenhagen. With the first prize in the Danish Arts Foundation’s competition; ‘New furniture for the UN headquarters’, they moved into furniture design together. Since designing the Council Chair, Kasper and Thomas have been involved in several projects with Onecollection.

Projects Featuring the Council Chair