Alvar Aalto Arktek Pendant, Finland
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Arktek Pendant, Finland
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 16.6 in (42.17 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980's
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 1306288853886
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and in his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, 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 in 1930 as part of his overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the 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 at the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had 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 his wife, Aino Aalto, 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.
- 1950s Dutch Pair Blue Hand Grenade Pendant Lights Phillips / Alvar Aalto styleBy Philips, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sherborne, DorsetA very stylish pair of Dutch 1950s Mid-Century Modern anthracite blue cylindrical 'Hand Grenade' pendant lights. Hung from their original two piece steel ceiling rose, the wire runs down to a bulb holder located inside the white metal cylinder...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- 1950s Dutch Pair Yellow Hand Grenade Pendant Lights Philips / Alvar Aalto StyleBy Philips, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sherborne, DorsetA very stylish pair of Dutch 1950s Mid-Century Modern pastel yellow cylindrical 'Hand Grenade' pendant lights. Hung from their original two piece steel ceiling rose, the wire runs down to a bulb holder located inside the white metal cylinder...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- Alvar Aalto A331 "Beehive" Pendant Light, 1950s, Valaistustyö Ky FinlandBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Turku, FIThe iconic ‘Beehive' ceiling lamp by Artek fills your dining or living room with beautiful atmospheric light. The Ceiling lamp A331 was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1953. The 'Beehive'...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum, Brass
- Ceiling Lamp ‘Beehive’ Model A332 Designed by Alvar Aalto for ValaistustyoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SECeiling lamp ‘Beehive’ model A332 designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaistustyo, Finland. 1953. Painted aluminium and polished brass. Early six tier version. Engraved ‘A332 Valaistusty...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Alvar Aalto, "Beehive" Ceiling Lamp, Aluminum, Brass, Finland, 1953By Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in High Point, NCA white-painted aluminum and brass "Beehive" ceiling lamp designed by Alvar Aalto and produced by Valaistustyö Ky, Finland, 1953. Interior rod impressed "VALAISTUSTYÖ A331".Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Pendant by Alvar Aalto for ValaistostyoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Long Island City, NYA pendant designed by Alvar Aalto to Valaistostyo Ky, Finland. Model A-203, Circa 1950th. Lacquered metal with brass elements. Stamped by manufacturer. Existing wires, rewiring avai...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Very Modern Love Story of Mid-Century Design Duo Alvar and Aino Aalto
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.