- Designed By - Alvar Aalto
- When - 1932
- Made From - Laminated
birch plywood and birch frame
- Manufactured By - Artek
- More Info - This
chair was designed by Aalto for his Paimio
Sanatorium which is a hospital in Finland. This is the most well known and
popular of Aalto’s chairs. The seat and back of this cantilever chair are
formed from a single piece of laminated birch ply in a beautiful scroll shape
and fulfil Aalto’s desire to push shape and structure to the extremes but still
using natural materials. The chair was designed to assist the posture and
breathing of patients with TB, making then feel more comfortable. The chair
caused a considerable stir when it was exhibited at Fortnum and Mason in London
in 1933 as it was technologically groundbreaking and very different from
anything else that had been seen before. It was inspired by Marcel Breuer’s
Wassily Chair. It is the best known piece of furniture made by Artek and they are still
made in the same factory, using some of the same tool and wood from the same
forests as when they were first produced. It is in the permanent collection of
many museums including MoMA. It is available
with a white or black seat.
- Designed By - Alvar
Aalto
- When - 1939
- Made From - Birch
and linen webbing
- Manufactured By - Artek
- More Info - This
chair is a variation of the chaise lounge Aalto designed for the Finnish
Pavilion at the Paris shows. It has a beautiful cantilevered, bent birch frame
which really pushes what bent wood can do. The comfortable woven seat and back
are made of linen webbing which is available in 6 colours.
- Designed By - Alvar
Aalto
- When -
1932
- Made From - Solid
birch
- Manufactured By - Artek
- More Info - This
3-legged stacking stool was designed for the Viipuri
Library it is now on permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art in New
York. When it is stacked the legs create
a nice pattern. It is often also used as a side table. It extremely
simple and functional but still very ascetically pleasing. The seat is availed
in lots of colours options and even upholstered. The legs come in natural and
black and there is also a four legged version.
