Alvar Aalto Bench
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Bench
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)Width: 44.25 in (112.4 cm)Depth: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good original condition. Minor surface scratches, small rubs, and wear.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU871810245533
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.
- Alvar Aalto Coffee TableBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAAlvar Aalto Fan Leg Coffee Table, for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. Retains warm original patina.Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch
$2,200 - Brass and Steel Footman Coffee Table or BenchLocated in Atlanta, GABrass and steel footman coffee table or bench, England, circa late 19th century. Originally used as a footman (a table used next to a cooking fire, where...Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Industrial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Early Alvar Aalto for Finmar TableBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAEarly bentwood side table, designed by Alvar Aalto for Finmar, Finland, circa 1940s. Classic example of Danish modern design.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBeech
- Alvar Aalto End Tables or NightstandsBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of clean lined fan leg tables, designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. They are a versatile size and can be used as end or side tab...Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBeech, Birch
$2,800 / set - Alvar Aalto End Tables or Night StandsBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of Alvar Aalto end tables, for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. They retain their warm original patina. They are a versatile size and can be used as end or side tables, or as night ...Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch
$2,800 / set - Five Bentwood Stacking Tables or Stools in the Manner of Alvar AaltoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAFive Bentwood Stacking tables or stools in the manner of Alvar Aalto, circa 1950s. These tables are currently being refinished and can be completed in your choice of color. The price...Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWood
- Alvar Aalto L-Leg Bench/ Table Model 106By Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Highland, INThis exceptional example of Allto's slat bench/ table by Artek dates to circa 1948 and was sold at Chicago's landmark modern design store Baldwin Kingrey...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto BenchBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Esbjerg, DKAlvar Aalto bench in birch.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsBirch
$1,085 - Midcentury Alvar Aalto Blonde Birch Bentwood Leg Coffee Table or BenchBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMidcentury coffee or cocktail table or Bench by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Allto. Stands on 4 birch bentwood legs and table top surface rectang...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch, Bentwood
$6,400 Sale Price20% Off - Alvar Aalto Bench Model 153B, Artek 1970sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIIconic bench model 153 designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured by Artek in the 1960s. The bench is in very good original condition. As with a lot of Alvar Aalto's works the beauty...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsBirch
- Vintage White Bench by Designer Alvar AaltoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Brescia, ITArtek's 153A bench was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1945 and is still a modern and elegant design piece today. The seat is made of solid birch and rests on ...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsWood
- Original Bench from Helsinki House of Culture by Alvar Aalto, 1952-1958By Alvar AaltoLocated in Espoo, FITransform your space with the soul of Helsinki's cultural history embodied in an original 3-seat bench from The House of Culture Helsinki, designed by Alvar Aalto between 1952-1958. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsSteel
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.