Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Bookcase in Teak
About the Item
- Creator:La Permanente Mobili Cantù (Manufacturer),Ilmari Tapiovaara (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 97.25 in (247 cm)Width: 133.86 in (340 cm)Depth: 11.42 in (29 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- 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.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Waalwijk, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
- Ilmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Set of Six Dining ChairsBy La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Waalwijk, NLIlmari Tapiovaara for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, darkened beech, cognac leather, Italy, 1950s These robust chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara feature a geometric frame for the patinated c...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Taichiro Nakay for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Wall Cabinet in TeakBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLTaichiro Nakay (Nakai) for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, wall cabinet, teak, coated steel, brass, glass, Italy, circa 1955 Taichiro Nakay is an incredibly talented Japanese designer ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Taichiro Nakai for La Permanente Mobili Adjustable Wall Cabinet in TeakBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLTaichiro Nakay (Nakai) for La Permanente Mobili, bookcase, lacquered iron, teak, glass, brass, maple, ca. 1955 Taichiro Nakai is an incredibly talented Japanese designer who is most...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBrass, Iron
- Taichiro Nakay for La Permanente Mobili Cantù SofaBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLTaichiro Nakay (Nakai) for La Permanente Mobili, sofa, wood, painted metal, fabric, Italy, 1955. Rare free-form sofa designed by Japanese designer Taichiro Nakay and presented at t...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Taichiro Nakay for La Permanente Mobili Cantù Armchair in CherryBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLTaichiro Nakay (Nakai) for La Permanente Mobili La Permanente Mobili Cantù, armchair, cherry, fabric, Italy, 1955 Taichiro Nakay is an incredibly talented Japanese designer who is m...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Cherry
- La Permanente Mobili Cantù Set of Six Dining Chairs in Teak and MetalBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Waalwijk, NLLa Permanente Mobili Cantù set of six dining chairs, teak, black lacquered metal, alcantara, Italy, 1950s Beautiful and elegant set of six Italian dining chairs by La Permanente Mobili Cantù. These delicate chairs are a treat for anyone loving Italian midcentury modern furniture...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Ilmari Tapiovaara bookcase for La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Italy ca. 1957By La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated 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 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
- La Permanente Mobili Cantù Teak and Brass SideboardBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Madrid, ESSideboard made of teak wood with sliding doors and five drawers, brass details. Manufactured in Italy by La Permanente Mobili Cantù.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Vittorio Dassi Wall Unit / Dry Bar for Permanente Mobili Cantù, Italy, 1950-60By La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Vittorio DassiLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandSophisticated and very rare wall unit by Vittorio Dassi for Mobili Cantù - Italy, circa 1950-60. The inside of the cabinets and drawers are covered very luxuriously in Birch veneer and red felt. The inside shelves are made of Birch and some of glass. The large cabinet features a fold out bar...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
MaterialsBrass
- Ilmari Tapiovaara Bookcase Produced by Asko in FinlandBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länVery rare and large freestanding bookcase designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Asko in Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak, Lacquer
- Italian Sideboard from La Permanente Mobili Cantù, 1940sBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Montelabbate, PUDisplay case designed with a shelf, missing closing glass, and La Permanente Cantù display case.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsGlass, Mirror, Maple, Lacquer
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Morentz Writes the Next Chapter for Furniture with a Storied Past
Dutch dealer Matthijs Hoveijn specializes in the best of mid-century modern design, selling it to discerning clients around the world.