Vilhelm Theodor Lauritzen (1894–1984) was a key figure in Danish modernism and functionalism. Educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, he founded his own practice in 1922 and remained active until 1969. He is known for designing iconic Copenhagen landmarks such as Radiohus, Folkets Hus (now Vega), and the former Terminal 2 at Copenhagen Airport—all now listed buildings.

Radiohus was a gesamtkunstwerk. Vilhelm Lauritzen designed everything from door handles, railings and ashtrays to lamps, sofas and counters, in close collaboration with Finn Juhl, who was employed under Lauritzen from 1934 to 1945. The Radiohus sofa was designed in 1936 for the foyer of the building. Profiling a new, soft Nordic functionalism, the sofa is a fusion of the two designers’ sensibilities: Juhl’s organic and sculptural idiom and Lauritzen's stringent functionalism. In addition to his modernist and functionalist building designs, Vilhelm Lauritzen created a number of iconic furniture pieces and lamps.