Ilmari Tapiovaara Bookcase Produced by Asko in Finland
About the Item
- Creator:Ilmari Tapiovaara (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 48.04 in (122 cm)Width: 206.7 in (525 cm)Depth: 12.6 in (32 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1957-1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Limhamn, SE
- Reference Number:
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: Malmö, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Bookcase Produced by La Permanente MobiliBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länVery rare and large freestanding bookcase designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by La Permanente Mobili, Cantù in Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBrass
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Coffee Table / Side Table Produced by Laukaan Puu in FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare coffee table / side table designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Laukaan Puu in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsPine
- Ilmari Tapiovaara "Maija the Bee" Floor Lamp by Hienoteras in FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteras in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Floor Lamp Model "Maija the Bee" by Hienoteräs in FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteräs in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Floor Lamp Model "Maija the Bee" by Hienoteräs in FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteräs in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Finn Juhl Bookcase Produced by Bovirke in DenmarkBy Finn JuhlLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länRare wall-mounted bookcase designed by Finn Juhl. Produced by Bovirke in Denmark.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBrass
- Midcentury Teak Commodes by Ilmari Tapiovaara, Asko, Finland, 1960sBy Asko, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Stockholm, SEPair of chests of drawers by Ilmari Tapiovaara, made from teak. Clean design with slanted fronts that create a very cool silhouette and play with light.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsTeak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Bookcase in TeakBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLIImari Tapiovaara for Permanente Mobili Cantù, bookcase, teak, lacquered wood, Italy, circa 1957 This grand bookcase executed in teak is designed by the Finnish designer Ilmari Tapi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Bookcase in TeakBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLIImari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, bookcase, teak, fabric, Italy, circa 1957 Crafted from teak, this exquisite bookcase is the creation of Finnish designer Ilmari Tap...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara bookcase for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Italy ca. 1957By Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Rotterdam, NLArchitectural bookcase by IImari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Italy ca. 1957. Wonderful piece with a clean lines and refined functional details, nothing is overdone, re...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsNatural Fiber, Teak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Teak Cabinet for Asko, 1950sBy Asko, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Helsinki, FIA very elegant and distinct teak drawer/sideboard designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara and manufactured by Asko in Finland in the 1950s. One of the most iconic designs by Ilmari Tapiovaara,...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Library in WalnutBy Ilmari Tapiovaara, La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLIImari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, bookcase, walnut, fabric, Italy, design 1957 This grand bookcase executed in walnut is designed by the Finnish designer Ilmari Tapi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Walnut