- Want more images or videos?Request additional images or videos from the seller
Pair of Alvar Aalto Armchairs

About
Details
- CreatorAlvar Aalto (Designer)
- DimensionsHeight: 34 in. (86.36 cm)Width: 30 in. (76.2 cm)Depth: 30 in. (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 18 in. (45.72 cm)
- Sold AsSet of 2
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period
- Date of Manufacturecirca 1930
- ConditionWear consistent with age and use.
- Seller LocationCulver City, CA
- Reference Number
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingRates vary by destination and complexity. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.Ships From: Culver City, CA
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
About Alvar Aalto (Designer)
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 furnishings — which range 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 furniture.
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 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 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.

- Located in Culver City, CASubstantial oak frame, with slatted wood back. Newly upholstered in Maharam Corduroy. Measures: 35.5” W x 3...Category
Late 20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsOak
- Located in Culver City, CAUnique chairs constructed from wooden wheels.Category
Early 20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Located in Culver City, CAPair of Curved Plywood Armchairs, Italy, circa 1950. Dynamic form, with bentwood arms, newly reupholstered in...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsPlywood
H 32.25 in. W 24.75 in. D 25.5 in.$3,200 Sale Price / set62% Off - Located in Culver City, CANewly upholstered in velvet from House of Hackney, original paint remnants on carved wooden legs. Measures:...Category
Early 20th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Velvet
- Located in Culver City, CAPair of modern armchairs in faux wool, Italy, circa 1950 On splayed metal legs with brass feet.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFaux Fur
- Located in Culver City, CAElegant form, with cabriole front legs and shaped back legs. Measures: 36" W x 28” D x 47.5” H x 22” seat.Category
Early 20th Century English Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet
You May Also Like
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Birch
Vintage 1940s Finnish Armchairs
Fabric, Plywood
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Birch
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Leather, Beech
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Birch
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Beech
2010s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Birch
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Birch, Wood
The 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Insured Global Delivery