Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair in Birch Plywood Model 31/41, 1935 Finland
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair in Birch Plywood Model 31/41, 1935 Finland
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26.97 in (68.5 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 26.78 in (68 cm)Seat Height: 15.56 in (39.5 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1935
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hellouw, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5583229001752
Alvar Aalto
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.
- Pair of Eugenio Gerli Model 126 Lounge Chairs Società Compensati Curvi, ItalyBy Eugenio Gerli, Società Compensati CurvatiLocated in Hellouw, NLThese beautiful bentwood chairs were designed in 1958 by the Italian architect Eugenio Gerli for Società Compensatie Curvi. This company, which was located in Monza at the time, specialized in manufacturing highly stylized chairs made of bentwood with a modular choice offered to the customer. For example, there was a catalog showing that at that time you could choose from different types of bases and bodies. These specific lounge chairs are made up of seven layers of glued and bent teak veneer. A special example of craftsmanship and artistry in which technique and aesthetics effortlessly come together. The body is attached to a beautiful slender black-painted metal base by means of four bolts. The considerable contrast between the base and the seating area seems to make the chair float. The opening at the back of the seat allows for an angelic light...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Congo Chair in Birch by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Asko, Finland, 1960sBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Hellouw, NLNice Congo chair in Birch by Ilmari Tapiovaara for Asko 1960s. This smart construction consists of two parts that are put together without any screws and can be easily shipped or sto...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Kaare Klint 'Safari' Lounge Chair for Red Rasmussen, Denmark, 1960sBy Kaare KlintLocated in Hellouw, NLThis is the 1960s 'Safari' chair for Red Rasmussen by Danish designer Kaare Klint, which he originally designed in the 1930s. The chair is entirely foldable, making it a lightweight ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Leather
- Pair of Grete Jalk Model 118 armchairs in Teak for France & Daverkosen, 1950sBy France & Daverkosen, Grete JalkLocated in Hellouw, NLCharming pair of Grete Jalk Model 118 armchairs in teak and fabric for France & Daverkosen from 1955. These two comfortable chairs are the first o...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Alvar Aalto Style Side Table in Oak, Denmark, 1980sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Hellouw, NLCharming Alvar Aalto style side table in oak from Denmark 1980s. This table is practical and has a minimal design. The top is interesting due to its shape that is a mix between an ov...Category
Vintage 1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsOak
- Italian Modern Osvaldo Borsani Arm Chair Model P24 by Tecno, Italy, 1961By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Hellouw, NLImpressive Italian Modern Osvaldo Borsani arm chair Model P24 by Tecno from Italy 1961. Wooden armrests in combination with the metal frame make this an interesting and timeless piec...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto, Birch Plywood Cantilever Chair, Model 31, Huonekalu-ja, FinlandBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireAlvar Aalto model 31 chair of moulded birch plywood, cantilevered one-piece seat and back suspended from bent supports painted black. Designed in the 1930s and produced by Huonekalu...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair, Model 31By Alvar AaltoLocated in San Francisco, CAAlvar Aalto cantilever chair, model 31. A very rare 1st edition model 31 lounge chair by Alvar Aalto in birch plywood with a floating bac...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto 31 Lounge Chair for the Paimio Sanitorium, Finland, 1931By Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBHuonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas As an architect and designer, Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) should be celebrated for bringing Scandinavian modernism to global prominence. His sensitivity t...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
$7,950 Sale Price40% Off - Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair 41By Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning Paimio armchair 41 by Alvar Alto for Artek, Finland, in natural birch wood with black bentwood seat with venting slots. The laminated birch frame is bent into a closed curve...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto, Lounge Chair, Birch, Fabric, Finland, 1970sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in High Point, NCA moulded birch and light-grey fabric lounge chair desisgned by Alvar Aalto and produced by Artek, Finland, c. 1970s. seat height 15”.Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Alvar Aalto Model 31 Cantilevered Lounge ChairBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Ferndale, MII believe this to be an early production chair in original somewhat worn finish. One of several designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto during time he was building a tuberculos...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
$5,000 Sale Price41% Off
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.