Armchair 400 "Tank"

Overview

Armchair 400 "Tank" is credited by Artek to Alvar Aalto. Artek's product page says it was created in 1936 for an exhibition at the Milan Triennale, where it was promptly awarded a prize; Artek's 2010 product sheet gives the design date as 1935-36.

Construction

The frame is form-bent solid birch lamella in a springy cantilevered form. The seat and back come in birch plywood, or in fabric or leather upholstery over zig-zag springs with PU foam and polyester padding. The page carries the line Made in Finland.

Specifications

• Dimensions: W 77 cm · D 77 cm · H 65 cm
• Frame finishes: clear lacquer, walnut stain, honey stain, black lacquer
• Upholstery: Zebra, Kvadrat Tonus or Sörensen leather; any material on request

The Triennale chair

Artek explains that Alvar Aalto created Armchair 400 in 1936 for an exhibition at the Milan Triennale, where it was promptly awarded a prize. The nickname "Tank" comes, in Artek's words, from the distinctive wide and sturdy armrests made of form-bent birch lamella and from the robust upholstery.

Zebra since the 1930s

The page notes that the chair has appeared in zebra-patterned fabric ever since the 1930s, and that the brown and white Zebra colourway adds a soft yet playful warmth. The product sheet prints the nicknames Tankkituoli in Finnish, Tankstolen in Swedish and Der Panzer in German next to the English "Tank Chair".