Set of 4 1970s Italian Tapiolina Chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara
About the Item
- Creator:Ilmari Tapiovaara (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73.03 cm)Width: 18.25 in (46.36 cm)Depth: 17.75 in (45.09 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Refinished.
- Seller Location:Toronto, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9232238467152
Ilmari Tapiovaara
During the mid-20th century, Finnish furniture designer Ilmari Tapiovaara worked with pine, teak and his country’s native birch to create sleek and sculptural chairs, dining room tables and bookcases in the Scandinavian modern style. Tapiovaara’s areas of expertise expanded beyond furniture to include interior architecture, wooden sculptures, film posters and cutlery.
After completing his studies at the Central School of Applied Arts in Helsinki, Tapiovaara embarked on a design career that would envelop his entire life. As a young man, Tapiovaara idolized revered architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto — whom, with his wife, Aino Aalto, cofounded Artek, the company that would eventually manufacture the majority of Tapiovaara’s creations. The budding designer had one of Aalto’s chairs in his apartment while he was a student. After graduating, he worked as an assistant in an office at Le Corbusier, then as a designer and artistic director at Asko.
By 1951, Tapiovaara and his wife, Annikki, had established their own studio. A few years previous, the pair had designed the now-legendary Domus chair while creating interiors and furnishings for a new student housing complex in Helsinki. Made of molded plywood and easily stackable, the ergonomic Domus chair, with its slender form, featured a modest silhouette — its lightweight structure allowed for easy exporting, and iconic mid-century modern furniture manufacturer Knoll added a low-backed version to its offerings in the early 1950s. (It was marketed as the Finn chair in the United States.)
Tapiovaara went on to design pieces for Pihlgren ja Ritola and Santa and Cole. His experience earned him teaching positions at the Institute of Applied Arts, the Helsinki University of Technology and the Illinois Institute of Technology. While in Chicago for the latter, he worked in the office of Mies van der Rohe.
Tapiovaara centered his passion for design on social responsibility. He wanted his creations to be accessible to everyone, which was the concept behind his democratic approach. In Finland’s postwar era, the goal was exemplary, affordable designs. With this in mind, he created products such as stackable chairs and “knock-down” pieces packed flat, so they shipped efficiently and cost less.
An influential champion of his profession, he spent two decades as a United Nations ambassador, working to improve design’s contribution to society. His lasting, collectible furniture is a testament to the designer’s goal to create humane, radiant and intimate spaces. The United Nations project included traveling to Paraguay to create much-needed furniture. A similar project followed in Mauritius.
Tapiovaara’s success as an industrial and mass producer of everyday furniture was widely recognized and awarded. He received six gold medals for his chairs alone at the Milan Triennials. He also accepted a Good Design award, the Finnish State Design Award, a prize from the Finnish Culture Foundation and the Furniture Prize of the SIO Interior Architects’ Association of Finland.
Find vintage Ilmari Tapiovaara seating, tables and lighting on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Toronto, Canada
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Italian Midcentury Architectural Chairs - Set of 4Located in Toronto, CAThe sleek, minimalist lines of the chairs effortlessly capture the essence of Midcentury Italian design, providing a tasteful blend of form and function. Sold as a set of 4.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood
- 1970s Solid Pine Armchair by Rainer DaumillerBy Rainer DaumillerLocated in Toronto, CASolid in construction, simple in form, and sculptural in expression, the pine chair’s straightforward materiality and robust composition pay tribute to designer Daumiller’s lifelong ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood, Pine
- Set of 6 1960's Italian Armchairs, White with Purple Suede SeatsLocated in Toronto, CA1960's dramatic white Italian armchairs with a just-right purple suede seat and back. The set of six chairs is sculptural and impactful, and mana...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSuede, Wood
- Set of 6 Brutalist De Puydt ChairsBy De PuydtLocated in Toronto, CADe Puydt oak chairs for Kunstmeubelen from the 1970s - a prime example of Brutalist style. With their raw, unapologetic aesthetic, these chairs embody the principles of Brutalism whi...Category
Vintage 1970s Belgian Brutalist Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, Set of 6 Mandarin Chairs in Original Red FabricBy Kartell, Ettore SottsassLocated in Toronto, CAConceived by Italian architect and designer, Ettore Sottsass and manufactured in 1986 by Knoll, the Mandarin chair is a highly functional design with distinctive one-piece arm-rail t...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 1970s Italian Solarium 3 Piece Set, Newly UpholsteredLocated in Toronto, CA3-piece Italian Solarium Seating Set of black wire mesh, newly reupholstered in a grey and white Kvadrat Acca Stripe. The 1970s set includes two 2-seater sofas and a single armchair....Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsWire
- 1970's Ilmari Tapiovaara ''Tapiolina'' ChairsBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Madrid, ESPair of ash wood ‘’Tapiolina’’ chairs by the Finish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli Montina. Italy, 1970s. Ilmari Tapiovaara’s work is characterized by the most radical functionalism. He studied in Helsinki fine Arts School and by working with Aalto (whose influence is present in all of his work) and Le Corbusier, He learned how to produce Beautiful and Fair designed...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsAsh
- Tapiolina Chairs in Ash Wood by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli MontinaBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in London, EnglandIlmari Tapiovaara (1914-1999) was a renowned Finnish designer and architect known for his significant contributions to the fields of furniture and industrial design. He played a crucial role in shaping the modern design landscape in Finland and gained international recognition for his work. Early in his career, Tapiovaara worked alongside the celebrated Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto. This collaboration greatly influenced his design sensibilities and helped him establish a strong foundation in modernist design principles. Tapiovaara is often associated with the "Finnish Modern" design movement, which aimed to create functional and aesthetically pleasing everyday objects for the Finnish population. He believed that good design should be accessible to everyone. His designs often incorporated natural materials, simplicity, and functionality. Tapiolina chairs in ash wood by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli Montina...Category
Vintage 1970s Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of 6 "Pirkka" Chairs by Ilmari TapiovaaraBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in San Francisco, CAA set of 6 "Pirkka" chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara A set of Ilmari Tapiovaara design dining chairs, from the series "Pirkka". The sculptural design, is made in pine and black lacquered...Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPine
- "Tapiolina" Chair by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli MontinaBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Conversano, IT"Tapiolina" chair by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli Montina Superb chair in solid ash wood model "Tapiolina" designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Fratelli Montina in 1974, Italy. I...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Set of 4 Dining Chairs, Finland, 1950sBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Lambertville, NJIlmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, darkened beech and patinated cognac leather, Finland, 1950s. These robust chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara feature a geometric frame for ...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Mid-Century Modern Italian Set of 4 Leather D Dining Chairs by Ilmari TapiovaaraBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Prato, ITMid-Century Modern Italian set of 4 cognac leather and dark beech wood dining chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù. The chairs are in really good vintage condi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech