Paimio Armchair Model 41 by Alvar Aalto for Artek

Paimio armchair by Aalto, Artek edition (90-2000) Condition — This vintage item may show some wear, such as scratches and other signs of use. Materials: Birch. Colour: Black. Length: 88 cm. Width: 61 cm. Height: 64 cm. Seat height: 32 cm. The Paimio armchair, designed in 1932, is also known as the 41 chair from Artek. It is made of bent plywood and wood (birch or natural lacquered beech). It was created as part of the overall project for the Paimio sanatorium, for the treatment of tuberculosis, led by Alvar Aalto. His mission was to design the building, the furniture, and the lighting. For the armchair, he wanted to use warmer materials than metal tubes, hence the wood and the wave (aalto = wave in Finnish), and also to use natural, Finnish materials. This armchair is what would make him famous as an architect. It is functional, aesthetic, and takes into account the issues faced by patients by facilitating breathing. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is also known for the Viipuri Municipal Library, the Mairea villa, the Louis Carré house near Paris, and the Finnish pavilions at the 1937 Paris and 1939 New York World Expositions. In 1932, he founded ARTEK to "sell furniture" designed by Alvar Aalto and to "promote modern living culture through exhibitions and other means.".