Description

Armchair 42

Armchair 42 -Artek – or “Small Paimio” – was designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932. The frame is made from laminated birch shaped to produce a cantilevered chair; the seat and back are created from one piece of form-pressed plywood. The fluidity of the design creates a soft, comfortable place to sit. The result is an armchair without straight lines, an armchair of exceptional aesthetic appeal. Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split in half, ensuring that as the chair ages, it remains perfectly balanced.

Recognised today as one of the great masters of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto (1898 –1976) was born in Kuortane, Finland. During a long and prolific career, Aalto designed buildings for almost all key public institutions, as well as standardised housing and private homes. One of the co-founders of Artek, Aalto left a legacy with lasting resonance. Together with his wife Aino Aalto, he began designing furnishings as a natural extension of their architectural thinking and his first modern furniture design was created in 1929 for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, Finland. Artek was set up in 1935 to market and sell Alvar and Aino Aalto’s furniture, lighting and textiles, particularly on international markets.

Armchair 42 -Artek