Original Bench from Helsinki House of Culture by Alvar Aalto, 1952-1958
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)Width: 62.21 in (158 cm)Depth: 16.54 in (42 cm)Seat Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1952-1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. It is in original condition, showing signs of age and use, but remains solid. Upholstery has minor losses.
- Seller Location:Espoo, FI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9303237244062
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Espoo, Finland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto Finnish Modern Chair for Wilh Schauman, Finland, 1939By Alvar AaltoLocated in Espoo, FIElevate your interior design with this elegant Finnish modern chair designed by Alvar Aalto that was showcased at the New York World's Fair in 19...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Bentwood
- Aino and Alvar Aalto Side Table for Adlon, Finland, 1938By Aino AaltoLocated in Espoo, FIUnique side table by Aino and Alvar Aalto designed for the cabinet of restaurant Adlon in Helsinki, which Artek decorated in late 1938. Aino Aalto, the creative force behind the Adlo...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Aino Aalto Swivel Chair, Artek, 1935-1936By Aino AaltoLocated in Espoo, FIIntroducing the extremely rare Aino Aalto Swivel Chair nr 1118, designed between 1935 and 1936 by Finnish architect Aino Marsio-Aalto. This chair features its original upholstery and...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Swivel Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Aino Aalto Finnish Modern Pine Sofa, Artek, Finland, 1940sBy Aino AaltoLocated in Espoo, FIExtremely rare "Kesäsohva" by Aino Aalto, a Finnish Modern gem from the 1940s, meticulously crafted and produced by Artek in Finland. Carved from fine pine, this sofa was tastefully re-upholstered in the 1980s by Artek, retaining its ageless charm. With minor signs of wear, both the upholstery and pine remain in good condition. Aino Aalto was a key figure in the emergence of what is now known as Finnish Functionalism...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Pine
- Original Torni Chair by Einari Kyöstilä, Finland, 1930Located in Espoo, FIThis original Torni Chair by the visionary Einari Kyöstilä was crafted exclusively for the iconic Hotel Torni Helsinki in 1930. It is in good vintage c...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Candelabra by Hilding Ekelund, Finland, 1926By Another HumanLocated in Espoo, FIThe Hilding Ekelund Candelabra (documented) is a harmonious blend of artistry and functionality. Crafted from exquisite metal and produced by Taidetakomo Hakkarainen, this piece boas...Category
Vintage 1920s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Candelabras
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto BenchBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Esbjerg, DKAlvar Aalto bench in birch.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish 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
- Alvar Aalto Bench Blue Linoluem TopBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JP1960's alvar aalto design bench It is blue linoleum top.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Modern Benches
MaterialsBirch
- 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 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
- Midcentury Alvar Aalto Blonde Birch Bentwood Leg Coffee Table or BenchBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated 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
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.