Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Finnish, 1898-1976
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.
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Creator: Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchairs in Leather for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ Armchairs in leather for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production.
As voluminous as it is comfortable, Armchair 400 was created by Alvar Aalto...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Alvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Lounge Chairs in Fabric and Birch for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ Armchairs in fabric upholstery and lacquered birch for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production.
Price noted is for a pair of Tank chairs in f...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production.
As voluminous as it is comfortable, Armchair 400 was created b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
1960 Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair Model 406 by Artek in Birch and Cane Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chair model 406.
Laminated birch, cane.
circa 1960
The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39.
Measures: 35"H x...
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Cane, Birch
Alvar Aalto Pair of ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Pair of 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. Please note: the price is for 2 chairs with Kvadat Tonus...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair in Zebra for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. Please note: price is for a 'Tank' armchair in Zebra upholstery and nat...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Pair of Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chairs Model 406 by Artek in Birch Cane Webbing
By Alvar Aalto, Artek
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chairs model 406.
Laminated birch, cane.
circa 1960
The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39.
35"H x ...
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Cane, Birch
Early Alvar Aalto 'Model 2' Arm Chair, 1930
By Alvar Aalto, O.Y.Huonekalu
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original early Alvar Aalto 'Model 2' armchair for O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B., in molded plywood and solid birch. Unrestored condition with partly significant wear. Lat...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Plywood
Alvar Aalto Padded Paimio 44 Lounge Chair in Birch & Sheepskin, Artek 1950s
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Helsinki, FI
The famous Paimio lounge chair model 41, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanitarium. Manufactured by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy in t...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Metal
Alvar Aalto Highback "Tank" Arm Chair in Sheepskin A 38, Artek 1940s
By Alvar Aalto, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful early version of the A38 "high back" Tank chair by Alvar Aalto. This sizable chair is one of the rare Aalto chair creations and it is in beautif...
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Sheepskin, Birch
Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair 41
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Paimio armchair 41 by Alvar Alto for Artek, Finland, in natural birch wood with black bentwood seat with venting slots. The laminated birch...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair
By Alvar Aalto, ICF Group
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Alvar 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 Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Cotton, Beech
Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair, Model 31
By Alvar Aalto
Located in San Francisco, CA
Alvar Aalto cantilever chair, model 31.
A very rare 1st edition model 31 lounge chair by Alvar Aalto in birch plywood with a floating bac...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch
Rare 1930s Alvar Aalto for Stylclair in Plywood and Braided Straw
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Alvar Aalto for Stylclair, lounge chair, beech plywood, braided straw, France, 1930s
We present a rare lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto, produced by Stylclair under the license...
Category
1930s French Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Straw, Beech, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair 41.. Classic Bauhaus Design. Modernist/ Scandinavian
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning Paimio armchair 41 by Alvar Alto in natural birch wood with white bentwood seat with venting slots. The laminated birch frame is bent into a closed curve with solid birch c...
Category
1980s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Pair of ‘Tank’ Armchairs in Zebra for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto pair of 400 ‘Tank’ armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production. Please note: the price is for 2 chairs with Artek Zebra uphol...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Alvar Aalto Easy Chair Nr 31 Produced by O.y Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare easy chair model nr 31 designed by Alvar Aalto. Produced by O.y Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas in Finland.
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch
1960 Alvar Aalto Cantilever Chair Model 406 by Artek in Birch and Cane Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Aalto, cantilevered chair model 406.
Laminated birch, cane.
circa 1960
The model 406 chair was originally designed in 1938-39.
35"H x 24"W x 27...
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Cane, Birch
Alvar Aalto 402 Series Armchair for Artek, circa 1960, lambskin
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto manufactured, circa 1960.
New upholstered with lambskin
Curved birch plywood and braided vegetable fiber.
Measures: 74 x 61 x 69 cm.
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Sheepskin, Birch
Armchair 406 by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
Armchair 406 combines simple elegance with comfort.
Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split in half, ensuring that as the chair ...
Category
1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
Armchair 406 by Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Centreville, VA
Armchair 406 combines simple elegance with comfort.
Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split in half, ensuring that as the chair ...
Category
1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
Alvar Aalto Model 406 Lounge Chairs
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Highland, IN
Aalto's 1936 design, the model 406 lounge chair is a perfect example of understated Finnish design. The bent wood cantelivered frame of laminated birch and n...
Category
1930s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch
1970s Alvar & Aino Aalto for Artek / ICF 406 Lounge Chairs in Beech w/ Webbing
By Artek, Aino Aalto, Alvar Aalto
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are 406 Arm Chairs, originally designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto in 1939. These particular examples were produced by Artek in Finland in the 1970s. Their frames are made from bi...
Category
1970s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Fabric
Alvar Aalto 36 Chair
By O.Y.Huonekalu, Alvar Aalto
Located in Epperstone, Nottinghamshire
Early Alvar Aalto 36/401 chair designed in 1933 and made by O.y. Huonekalu – Ja Rakennustyotehdas AB, Turku, Finland. Beautiful example of this special chair...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ 1936 Armchair in Fabric and Lacquered Birch for Artek
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto 400 ‘Tank’ Armchair for Artek. Designed in 1936. New, current production.
This price is for a Tank chair in fabric upholstery and clear la...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Fabric, Wood
1932 Artek No. 42 Small Paimio Lounge Chair in Birch by Alvar & Aino Aalto
By Artek, Alvar Aalto, Aino Aalto
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a very special and unusual chair. It is an original Armchair 42, Small Paimio, designed by Alvar Aalto and Aino Aalto for the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932. This particular piece...
Category
1930s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Early Model 402 Armchair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, Made in Finland, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Detroit, MI
The Model 402 lounge chair or ‘Atelje’ chair was designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1933 for and is considered a masterpiece of modernist furniture design. The Classic, well-balance...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Bentwood, Fabric
Alvar Aalto Cantilevered Leather Lounge Chair for Artek
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Artek’s Model 406 lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto. The cantilevered frame is a bent birch wood that gives the seat a floating effect. The chair's seat and seatback is finished i...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Leather
Wingback Lounge Chair by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1940s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare and sculptural wingback lounge chair having a cantilevered laminated birch frame and retaining its original handstitched textured linen upholstery.
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Birch
Alvar Aalto, Birch Plywood Cantilever Chair, Model 31, Huonekalu-ja, Finland
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Alvar Aalto model 31 chair of moulded birch plywood, cantilevered one-piece seat and back suspended from bent supports painted black.
Designed in...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair '43' 1937 in Birch and Naturel / Red Linen Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair '43' 1937 in Birch and Naturel / Red Linen Webbing for Artek. New, current production.
The stunning Lounge Chair 43 further explores the possibilities of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Linen, Wood
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair '43' 1937 in Birch and Black / Brown Linen Webbing
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Tilburg, NL
Alvar Aalto Lounge Chair '43' 1937 in Birch and Black / Brown Linen Webbing for Artek. New, current production.
The stunning Lounge Chair 43 further explores the possibilities of ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Mid-Century Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Linen, Wood
Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto lounge chair model 402, 1950's
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Uccle, BE
Original 1930's Alvar Aalto Model 402 lounge chair with reupholstered off-white cream fabric.
One of Aalto's notable creations is the "Model 402 Armchair...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch
Alvar Aalto Highback Cantilever Chair Model 36/401 Birch & Rusty Red Wool, 1930s
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Odense, DK
A beautiful pair of vintage birch highback lounge chairs model 36/401 by Alvar Aalto. Upholstered with original rusty red wool and with an amazing honey coloured patina to the bent birchwood. Designed 1933 and manufactured in the 1950s by Artek, Finland.
The high-back cantilever Armchair 401...
Category
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Wool, Birch
Rare, Early Alvar Aalto Model 31/42 Cantilevered Armchairs, Finland, 1930s
By Alvar Aalto
Located in LEWES, GB
Rare, early Alvar Aalto model 31/42 cantilevered armchairs, Finland, 1930s, designed and produced in the 1930s. Painted birch-veneered bent plywoo...
Category
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Plywood
Alvar Aalto Armchair Model 401, Finland 1940
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Chicago, IL
Alvar Aalto Armchair Model 401, Finland 1940s. Restored and newly reupholstered in a wool weave oatmeal color.
Measures 30.5” deep 28.5” tall 24.5” wide seat height 16” seat depth 21”
Category
1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Birch
Alvar Aalto Armchair with Special Height, Artek, "Enso-Gutzeit", 1962
By Artek, Alvar Aalto
Located in Odense, DK
A very rare Alvar Aalto armchair made for the Enso-Gutzeit ("Stora Enso") Headquarters in 1962. Birch, green fabric and leather. Great original condition with age related wear. Stamp...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Leather, Beech
Alvar Aalto 40s 406 Chair
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Tomi, Nagano
40s 406 chari.upholstery by jute webbing.
early production.
Category
1940s Finnish Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Birch, Fabric
Finnish Design Classic Lounge Chair No 401 by Alvar Aalto, 1930s
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in Renens, CH
Early 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
1930s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
2000s Pair of Model 402 Lounge Chairs by Aino & Alvar Aalto for Artek
By Alvar Aalto, Aino Aalto, Artek
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a pair of model 402 lounge ‘Ateljé’ chairs, designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1933. This particular pair was born in the mid 2000s. These classic cantilever loung...
Category
Early 2000s Finnish Modern Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
Alvar Aalto, Lounge Chair, Birch, Cowhide, Finland, 1940
By Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Alvar Aalto
Located in High Point, NC
An early production moulded birch and cowhide "Tank" lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto and produced by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy Turku, Finland, c. 1940.
Provenance: Henr...
Category
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
Materials
Cowhide, Birch
Alvar Aalto lounge chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Alvar Aalto lounge chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Alvar Aalto lounge chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 47 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 4 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original lounge chairs by Alvar Aalto were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider lounge chairs by Ilmari Tapiovaara, Yrjö Kukkapuro, and Carl Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs. Prices for Alvar Aalto lounge chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,600 and can go as high as $32,346, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,497.
Creators Similar to Alvar Aalto
Questions About Alvar Aalto Lounge Chairs
- What is Alvar Aalto known for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Alvar Aalto is known for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to global prominence. In his designs for buildings and furniture, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design. One of his most famous pieces is the Paimio armchair, which he designed in 1930 for a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair's frame is made 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 pillow effect. Aalto's use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and many others. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Alvar Aalto furniture.
- What style did Alvar Aalto use?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024The style most commonly associated with Alvar Aalto is Scandinavian modern. As an architect and designer, 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, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design, as is indicative of Scandinavian modern pieces. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Alvar Aalto furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024The Paimio chair, designed by Alvar Aalto, is a type of armchair created in 1932. Also called the Armchair 41, it was intended to help people breathe easier and was designed for a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Finnish city of Paimio. For the chair's frame, Aalto and his wife, Aino, opted to use Finland's native birchwood, which is strong and inexpensive and felt warmer and more organic than the tubular steel found in similarly shaped pieces. Laminated wood loops form the arms, legs and a pair of flat skids, while its sculptural seat and back are built from a single piece of thin plywood. Shop a variety of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs on 1stDibs.
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