Alvar Aalto Paimio 41 Lounge Chair
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Paimio 41 Lounge Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Seat Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Birch,Molded
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Minor losses. While no restoration has been performed, there are areas where joints were repaired or re-glued. See photos for more details.
- Seller Location:Saint Paul, MN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7331237777812
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.
- Herman Miller Rosewood Eames Lounge Chair 1960sBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Ray EamesLocated in Saint Paul, MNAbout as iconic as they come. The Eames 670, more commonly known as the Eames Lounge Chair was the brain child of the modernist masters Ray and Charles Eames. Conceived in 1956, it's...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsRosewood
- 1960s Vintage Jorge Zalszupin T Invertido Oxford Lounge ChairBy L'Atelier San Paulo, Jorge ZalszupinLocated in Saint Paul, MNAn iconic design by one of the founding fathers of Brazilian Modernism, the T invertido Lounge chair or commonly known as the Oxford lounge chair (...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Vintage Brazilian Jangada Chair by Jean GillonBy Jean GillonLocated in Saint Paul, MNThis exquisite vintage Jangada chair by renowned designer Jean Gillon is the perfect addition to any home. Handcrafted with premium rosewood and halyard rope, this chair is both stur...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- PK22 in Cane by Poul Kjærholm for E Kold ChristensenBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Saint Paul, MNThis is a rare early edition PK22 by famed Danish designer, Poul Kjærholm. Manufactured by Ejvind Kold Christensen, this model long predates any current models available from Fritz Hansen. Kjærholm's designs are know for their architectural nature and the PK22 is no different. The bent steel legs and frame serve as the framework for delicately woven cane whose warmth is a juxtaposition to the sterility of the steel. The cane is perfectly patinated and pairs well with the oxidized steel frame that is missing some of the finish. This is a true collector's item that can be used for many years. Confluence...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Antony Lounge Chair by Jean Prouvé for VitraBy Jean ProuvéLocated in Saint Paul, MNAntony lounge chair by Jean Prouvé for Vitra, 2002. Authentic and labeled. 2 available, priced and sold individually.Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage Paul McCobb Shovel Chairs 1950sBy Paul McCobb, WinchendonLocated in Saint Paul, MNPaul McCobb has been a bit of a dark horse in the world of Mid-Century Modern. Due to an early passing, McCobb didn't see the longevity of some of his modernist counterparts. But des...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMaple
- Alvar Aalto, Paimio 41 Lounge chair, ArtekBy Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThe famous Paimio lounge chair model 41, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimion Parantola. Manufactured by Artek in the 1960s, stamped "Artek, Aal...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair 41By Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Los Angeles, CAStunning Paimio armchair 41 by Alvar Alto for Artek, Finland, in natural birch wood with black bentwood seat with venting slots. The laminated birch frame is bent into a closed curve...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBirch
- Paimio Chair by Alvar AaltoBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Long Island City, NYPaimio Chair by Alvar Aalto, an authentic edition, chair #41, designed in 1941 by Alvar Aalto for Artek of Finland. A tour de force in bent...Category
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBentwood, Plywood
$10,350 - Alvar Aalto, Padded Paimio 44 Lounge chair, Artek 1950sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Helsinki, FIThe famous Paimio lounge chair model 41, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanitarium. Manufactured by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy in t...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto 31 Lounge Chair for the Paimio Sanitorium, Finland, 1931By Alvar AaltoLocated in London, GBHuonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas As an architect and designer, Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) should be celebrated for bringing Scandinavian modernism to global prominence. His sensitivity t...Category
Vintage 1930s Finnish Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch
$7,952 Sale Price40% Off - Alvar Aalto Lounge ChairBy Alvar Aalto, ICF GroupLocated in Philadelphia, PAAlvar Aalto Linen and Beech Lounge Chair in very good original condition! 2nd one available with more wear showing on the seat area of the linen. Later photos are showing the 2nd c...Category
1990s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCotton, Beech
$1,600 / 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.