Alvar Aalto for Valaisinpaja Oy 'Beehive' Pendant Lamp
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto for Valaisinpaja Oy 'Beehive' Pendant Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:Valaisinpaja Oy (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)Diameter: 13 in (33 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1953
- 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. We guarantee a very high-quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 450021351stDibs: LU933130025552
Beehive Pendant Light
Nicknamed “Beehive” for its resemblance to a bee’s nest, the Pendant Light A331 is among the most famous designs from revered Finnish architect and furniture maker Alvar Aalto (1898–1976).
In 1951, Aalto won a competition to design the main campus of a research university in Jyväskylä, where he had spent much of his childhood. Aalto also operated his studio in the small Finnish town from 1923 to 1933, when he and his first wife, Aino, relocated to Helsinki. In designing eight buildings for the University of Jyväskylä, Aalto planned a campus that echoed the layout of a Greek acropolis — Jyväskylä residents referred to their town as the “Athens of Finland” for its education focus, and the architect took this comparison to heart, prioritizing open-air civic space and other innovations. And just as he and Aino designed the Paimio armchair and all other furnishings for their famed tuberculosis sanatorium project — a masterpiece of functionalism — Aalto also specified furniture and interiors for his structures in Jyväskylä. The Beehive pendant was introduced in 1953 as part of the commission.
The Beehive pendant light’s elegant spherical shape is framed by five bands of handspun aluminum. But it’s the perforated steel rings underneath this multipart “shade” that comprise the unsung hero of the pendant — they provide for a diffusion of light that gives the Beehive a soft glow. The fixture is still manufactured by Artek, the company Alvar and Aino helped cofound in 1935. Within its 13-inch diameter, the Beehive pendant light encompasses many of Alvar Aalto’s most recognizable calling cards: reference to nature, sculptural form, thoughtful mechanics and overall warmth.
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.
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.
- Alvar Aalto for Valaistustyö Ky ‘A704’ Table Lamp in LeatherBy Alvar Aalto, ValaistustyöLocated in Waalwijk, NLAlvar Aalto for Valaistustyö Ky, desk lamp, model ‘A704’, enameled steel, enameled aluminum, leather-bound metal, Finland, 1954 This table lamp model ‘A704’ is designed by Finnish...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Enamel
- Paavo Tynell for Taito Oy 'Concerto' Chandelier in Brass and Beige GlassBy Taito Oy, Paavo TynellLocated in Waalwijk, NLPaavo Tynell for Taito Oy, chandelier from the 'Concerto' series, model '9029/4', brass, glass, metal, Finland, 1948 This majestic chandelier is desig...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Paavo Tynell for Taito Oy 'Concerto' Chandelier in Brass and Beige GlassBy Taito Oy, Paavo TynellLocated in Waalwijk, NLPaavo Tynell for Taito Oy, chandelier from the 'Concerto' series, model '9029/5', brass, glass, metal, Finland, 1948 This majestic chandelier is designed by the master in the field...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Paavo Tynell for Taito Oy 'Concerto' Chandelier in Brass and Amber GlassBy Taito Oy, Paavo TynellLocated in Waalwijk, NLPaavo Tynell for Taito Oy, chandelier from the 'Concerto' series, model '9029/4', brass, glass, metal, Finland, 1948 This majestic chandelier is designed by the master in the field...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce Pendant LampBy Gino Sarfatti, ArteluceLocated in Waalwijk, NLGino Sarfatti for Arteluce, pendant, aluminum, metal, Italy, 1950. Beautiful and sober pendant lamp designed by Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce in the 1950s....Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Alvar Aalto for Artek Stackable '11' Chairs in Birch PlywoodLocated in Waalwijk, NLAlvar Aalto for Artek, dining chairs, model '11', birch, plywood, Finland, design 1929 Lovely pair of stackable chairs designed by Alvar Aalto in 1929. This set is manufactured by A...Category
Vintage 1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto A335B Pendant, Valaisinpaja Oy, 1952By Alvar Aalto, Valaisinpaja OyLocated in Los Angeles, CAWonderful pendant light, model A335 B by Alvar Aalto, in brass and white enameled metal, with original metal canopy and white bottom rim, early example by...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- alvar aalto pendant lamp A337 Valaisinpaja OyBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JPalvar aalto design A337. It often called Flying Saucer. Very warm light.Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum
- Alvar Aalto Ceiling Pendant model. A622, Valaisinpaja 1970sBy Alvar Aalto, Valaisinpaja OyLocated in Helsinki, FIAn iconic ceiling pendant model A622, designed by Alvar Aalto in the 1950s, and manufactured by Valaisinpaja Oy in Finland in the 1970s. In line with all Aalto furniture and lighting...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto A337 Flush Mount, Valaisinpaja Oy, 1950By Alvar Aalto, Valaisinpaja OyLocated in Los Angeles, CAWonderful 'Flying Saucer' Model A337, ceiling flush mount lamp by Alvar Aalto, early example by original manufacture Valaisinpaja Oy, Finland, circa 1953, labelled with manufacture's...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Alvar Aalto Ceiling light Model B 335 Designed for Valaisinpaja Oy, FinlandBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SECeiling light model B 335 designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaisinpaja Oy. The lamp creates a warm, diffuse light when switched on, a result of the ingenious design that features several rows of perforated steel rings. The bottom ring is pierced powder coated aluminum shade Included in page 494 from “1000 Lights 1878 to 1959” (vol.1) from Taschen vintage retro Scandinavian...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Ceiling Light Model A 335 Designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaisinpaja Oy, FinlandBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SECeiling light model A 335 designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaisinpaja Oy, Finland. 1952. Brass and lacquered metal. Measurements: Height of the shade: 40 cm/ 15 3/4'' Total height: 65...Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Brass
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.
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.