An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with Aino, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finnish Design Classic: Pulkka Lounge Chair by Ilmari Laippainen for Asko, 1960s
By Ilmari Lappalainen, Asko
Located in Renens, CH
Bentwood Pulkka Lounge Chair by Ilmari Laippainen for Asko, Finland from the 1960s. Ilmari Laippainen (1922-2004) was a renowned Finnish architect and designer known for his funct...
Plywood
Hans Wegner CH25 Lounge Chair for Carl Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Carl Hansen
Located in Renens, CH
The CH25 lounge chair was designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1950 for Carl Hansen and Son. It is one of the earliest models in Wegner’s lounge chair series and has remained in continuous ...
Wood
Finnish Design Pulkka Lounge Chairs by Ilmari Laippainen for Asko, 1960s, Set
By Ilmari Lappalainen, Asko
Located in Renens, CH
Bentwood Pulkka Lounge Chairs by Ilmari Laippainen for Asko, Finland from the 1960s. Ilmari Laippainen (1922-2004) was a renowned Finnish architect and designer known for his functi...
Beech, Plywood
Sculptural Design Etcetera Lounge Chair By Jan Ekselius, Sweden – 1970s
By Jan Ekselius, J.O. Carlssons Möbelindustri
Located in Renens, CH
Iconic lounge chair designed by Jan Ekselius and produced in Sweden by J.O. Carlssons Möbel AB, during the 1970s. Recognized for its fluid, continuous silhouette, the Etcetera chai...
Steel
Vintage Swiss Production Grasshopper Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, 1950s
By Knoll, Eero Saarinen
Located in Renens, CH
Grasshopper Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll The Grasshopper (or model 61) chair was designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll in 1946, it was actually the first chair designed for the Knoll company, and turned out as an immediate success. Saarinen, an American but Finnish-born architect / industrial designer, was one of the main influencers of the new, modernist style now typical for mid-century American furniture design. His aim has always been to use simple forms, provide a comfortable user experience, while applying new techniques and often in cooperation with others. The use of laminated birch wood, regularly seen in the designs of Charles and Ray Eames is no coincidence, since they have worked together in the early 1940s. Other well-known pieces are the Womb Chair, and the Tulip or Pedestal series. Our lounge chair is a Knoll International original, a licensed early Swiss...
Wool, Wood
J. Kastholm, JK 720 Lounge Chair for Kill International, 1970s
By Jørgen Kastholm, Knoll
Located in Renens, CH
JK 720 Lounge Chair by Jørgen Kastholm for Kill International: The JK 720 Chair was only produced for a short time during the 1970s by Alfred Kill’s company; it features a brushed ...
Steel
Model 402 Lounge Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1950´s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Kangasala, FI
Lounge chair model 402 designed by Alvar Aalto, manufactured in the 1950's by Artek. This chair is extremely light, as almost every design piece of Alvar Aalto's work are. This ch...
Wool, Birch
Wingback Lounge Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1940s
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare and sculptural wingback lounge chair having a cantilevered laminated birch frame and retaining its original handstitched textured linen upholstery.
Upholstery, Birch
Armchair 'Model 50101' designed by Alvar Aalto for Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyöt
By Alvar Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab
Located in Stockholm, SE
The 'Model 50101' armchair designed by Alvar Aalto for Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas AB, is a rare and historically significant example from the formative years of Finnish modern...
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Armchair Model 36, Finland 1933
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Alto Armchair Model 36, Finmar/P.E. Gana 1st production, 1933. Original Measures 30.5” deep 28.5” tall 24.5” wide seat height 16” seat depth 21”
Upholstery, Birch
2000s Pair of Model 402 Lounge Chairs by Aino & Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Aino Aalto, Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of model 402 lounge ‘Ateljé’ chairs, designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1933. This particular pair was born in the mid 2000s. These classic cantilever loung...
Fabric, Birch
Model 401 Lounge Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland, 1970s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Karis, Nyland
Model 401 lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek, originally introduced in 1933. One of Aalto’s most celebrated designs, the Model 401 combines his pioneering bent laminated ...
Upholstery, Birch
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.
