An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, stools, 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 with his wife, Aino Aalto, in 1930 as part of the overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium.
Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio 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 the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had an 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 Aino, 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.
Design Esstisch aus Siebdruckplatten Tischlerei Sonderanfertigung
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Design Esstisch aus Siebdruckplatten zum Verkauf an. Der äußerst stabile und hochwertig verarbeitete Tisch wurde von einer Berliner Tischlerei gefertig...
Other
Vintage Design Esstisch schwarz Midcentury 1970 Deutschland
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Vintage Esstisch vom deutschen Traditionshersteller Alma aus den 1980er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Der Tisch lässt sich in der Höhe von 53cm auf 72,5cm ver...
Metal
3x Original Fritz Hansen Esstisch Piet Hein Design quadratisch
By Piet Hein, Fritz Hansen
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen von insgesamt drei originalen Fritz Hansen Tischen zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Piet Hein und gilt als wahrer Designklassiker. Der Preis bezieht sich auf e...
Steel
Mid Century Esstisch J.O. Carlsson Karl Erik Ekselius Teak
By J.O. Carlssons Möbelindustri
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Esstisch vermutlich hergestellt von J.O. Carlsson aus den 1950er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Karl Erik Ekselius und ist ein zeitloses ...
Teak
USM Haller Tisch Granit Design Schreibtisch schwarz
By Usm Haller, Fritz Haller
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen USM Haller Tisch mit seltener Tischplatte aus Granit zum Verkauf an. Der Tisch verfügt über abnehmbare Tischbeine, womit er flexibel einsetzbar und gut...
Granite, Steel, Chrome
Midcentury Esstisch JL ausziehbar Niels Møller Palisander Vintage
By Niels Otto Møller, J.L. Møllers Møbelfabrik
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen ausziehbaren Vintage Esstisch aus Palisander zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Niels Otto Moller, einem der einflussreichsten Möbeldesigner des 21...
Rosewood
Alvar Aalto Dining Table for Artek
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dining table designed by Alvar Aalto, for Artek. The table features a rectangular blue laminate top that sits atop bent birch wood legs. This design features Aalto’s signature metho...
Laminate, Birch, Bentwood
Danish Oak and Black Botium Lounge Table by Magnus Olesen, 1970s.
By Rud Thygesen and Johnny Sorensen, Magnus Olesen, Alvar Aalto
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Oak and Black Botium Lounge Table by Magnus Olesen, 1970s. Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern coffee table in steam bent light Nordic oak with black laminated tabletop. Designed...
Oak
1970's alvar aalto 82A table with ash top manufactured by artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
A vintage Alvar Aalto table ash top. we updated to great condition.
Birch, Ash
Table 81A by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
Alvar Aalto designed Table 81A for Artek in the 1950s. Artek is a Finnish furniture manufacturer that Aalto co-founded in 1935. The table is made of solid birch wood, which is maste...
Birch
1970's alvar aalto 81B table with oak top manufactured by artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
Alvar Aalto dining table, model no. 81B, with oak top and characteristic L‑leg base. This example features a beautifully aged oak top with a warm, even tone and visible grain, resti...
Birch, Oak
Alvar Aalto Drop-leaf Table by Artek 1950s
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Espoo, FI
Artek drop-leaf table, design by Alvar Aalto. The table has cream linoleum top. The table is from around 1950s, in original condition, in really good shape and has beautiful patina o...
Birch
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.
