Model 66 Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Design:Chair 66L-Leg Series
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Montréal, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9397238920942
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: Montréal, Canada
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Grasshopper Chair and Ottoman by Eero Saarinen for ModernicaBy Eero SaarinenLocated in Montréal, QCGrasshopper chair and ottoman by Eero Saarinen for Modernica, 2000s. Bentwood arms and legs with a sky blue coloured cotton upholstery. In great vintage condition, small imperfectio...Category
Early 2000s American Chaise Longues
MaterialsCotton, Bentwood
- Early Edition Model 3X Akari Table Lamp by Isamu NoguchiBy Isamu NoguchiLocated in Montréal, QCModel 3X Akari Table Lamp by Isamu Noguchi, 1960s. Early edition model, marked with the red sun and moon ideogram. Washi paper shade, bamboo ribbing with metal frame. Dimensions: 13...Category
20th Century Table Lamps
MaterialsPaper
- Gaudi Armchair by Vico Magistretti for ArtemideBy Vico MagistrettiLocated in Montréal, QCGaudi Armchair by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, made in Italy, 1970s. Named after architect Antoni Gaudi, the organic lines and form of the chair are heavily influenced by Gaudi's s...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Armchairs
MaterialsPlastic, Fiberglass
- Set of 4 Lollipop Dining Chairs by HonderichLocated in Montréal, QCSet of Lollipop Dining Chairs by Honderich Furniture Co., 1940s. Solid walnut frame and legs with a newly reupholstered backrest and seat in a luxurious lambswool and merino wool vel...Category
Vintage 1940s Canadian Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWool, Walnut
- Le Bambole Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B ItaliaBy Mario BelliniLocated in Montréal, QCLe Bambole Loveseat by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s. This iconic sofa is made of a thick buffalo brown leather - polyurethane foam interior with metal frame. In good vintage ...Category
20th Century Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Shogun Terra Floor Lamp by Mario Botta for ArtemideBy Mario BottaLocated in Montréal, QCShogun Terra Floor Lamp by Mario Botta for Artemide, 1980s. Cast iron base, cream coloured steel shaft with black stripes. Two curved perforated shades can be adjusted to create a va...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel, Iron
- Model 66 Chairs by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Chicago, ILc. 1970s. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. We have many others available in variable conditions for various prices. Set of four iconic chairs...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Chair 611 by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Princeton Junction, NJChair 611 by Alvar Aalto for Artek, webbing has been newly done.Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- 1940s Finnish Dining Chair by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sagaponack, NYA dining chair in laminated birch with newly upholstered black leather seat and back.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Birch
- Chair 65 by Alvar Aalto for Artek (White laminate)By Alvar AaltoLocated in Centreville, VAClean lines and a simple structure define the design of Chair 65. A low, rectangular backrest is formed from a single piece of birch plywood and has a slight curve that forms natur...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Alvar Aalto War Time Chairs Model 69, Artek 1940sBy Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIA very rare Alvar Aalto chair model 69, manufactured during the 2nd World war years in the 1940s. The iconic L-leg is different in these pieces compared to the normal. As a result of the war, Finland had a shortage of resources including glue, which was normally used in these chairs, so Aalto came up with a new design called the finger joint, to save recources during difficult times. Although can be used as a nornmal chair, this is also a very nice collectors item. We have 2 chairs, and both are stamped "Artek Aalto design" . Can be sold individually or as a pair. Reupholstered in Artek Fabric...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Mid-Century Artek Tank Chair Model by Alvar AaltoLocated in Forest Row, East SussexA mid-century tank chair Model 400 designed by Alvar Aalto and produced by Artek. Curved frame with original Zebra' upholstery. Dimensions: H 66cm, W 76.5cm, D 81cm. Alvar Aal...Category
Antique 19th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWool, Birch
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.