Alvar Aalto, Rare Pair of 1930s 69 Chairs with "Sandwich" Seat
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto, Rare Pair of 1930s 69 Chairs with "Sandwich" Seat
About the Item
- Creator:Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 17.33 in (44 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. reupholstered in a vintage artek fabric.
- Seller Location:Turku, FI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8110234052902
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, Original 1930s Chair 69 with Great Colour and PatinaBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiOriginal Alvar Aalto classic 69 chair manufactured in the 1930´s with great honey patina. These original dark chairs are rarely found. It is therefor a coll...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Rare Alvar Aalto 1940 War-Leg 69 ChairBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiEarly and rare War time leg 69 chair by Alvar Aalto. This is a collectors piece refurbished in a vintage Artek fabric. The War-leg is different from the ...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- Alvar Aalto, early birch coat rackBy Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Ab, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the timeless design of the Alvar Aalto early birch coat rack, a true vintage gem for any home. This original piece showcases Aalto's iconic use of bentwood and natural ma...Category
Early 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto, 1950's floor lamp A808, Valaistustyö, FinlandBy Valaistustyö, Alvar AaltoLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the Alvar Aalto circa 1950's floor lamp A808, a timeless piece of vintage design manufactured by Valaistustyö in Finland. The iconic finish design by Alvar Aalto is sure ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Aino Aalto, rare set of 5 children´s chairs, 1940'sBy Aino Aalto, Oy Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas AbLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiThis rare set of 5 children's chairs, designed by Aino Aalto in the 1940s, features a timeless and classic design that could also be used as tables. With its Montessori inspired desi...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Alvar Aalto, set of 4 circa 1950's "Golden bell" A330 pendants, Valaistustyö KyBy Alvar González-Palacios, ValaistustyöLocated in Turku, Varsinais-SuomiIntroducing the Alvar Aalto "Golden Bell" A330 pendants - a set of four stunning vintage design lighting pieces to elevate your interior to new heights. Iconically designed by Alvar ...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- alvar aalto chair69 natural 1930'sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JPDesigned by Alvar Aalto. This chair 69 was manufactured in the 1930s. It has a structure that seems to be an early product that is not found in current products. The paint film from ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- 3 Alvar Aalto Stackable Stools Model no 60, 1930sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThese three Alvar Aalto iconic stools from 1930s are beautiful and space saving furniture pieces of timeless design. The legs are mounted directly to the underside of the round seat ...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsBirch, Fabric
- Set of 4 Alvar Aalto Chairs with Black Straps, Finland, 1960'sBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Austin, TXSet of 4 Model number 45 armchairs, designed in 1947 by Alvar Aalto and manufactured later (1960's?) by Artek. Beech frames and woven black nylon seat and back make a comfortable and...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsNylon, Beech
$7,200 Sale Price / set20% Off - Finnish Design Classic Lounge Chair No 401 by Alvar Aalto, 1930sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Renens, CHEarly edition of the 401 cantilever lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto and produced by Huonekalu Ja Rakennustyötehdas (Turku, Finland) during the late 1930s. Our version was re-u...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Birch
- alvar aalto chair69 Painted Deep blue 1930'sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in 東御市, JPDesigned by Alvar Aalto. This is chair 69 . Deep blue paint is applied all over. This chair was manufactured in the 1930s.Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Modern Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Armchair by Alvar AaltoBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sagaponack, NYA laminated birch armchair with a black linen webbed seat and cane wrapped arms.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch
$2,600 / item
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.