Paimio Armchair 41

Overview

Armchair 41 "Paimio" is dated 1932 by Artek, which credits it to Alvar Aalto and says it was created for the interior of a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Finnish city of Paimio. Artek calls it a revolutionary interpretation of the club chair, with a traditional outline and a light, organic form. On Artek's drawing it is 60 cm wide, 80 cm deep and 64 cm high (the values are not labelled).

Image source: Artek — Paimio Armchair 41 · © Artek and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Construction

The frame is made of form-bent solid birch lamella; the seat shell is form-pressed birch plywood. The seat is fixed to the frame at only four points, which makes it appear to float and gives it an astounding degree of elasticity, according to Artek.

Specifications

• Frame: birch, clear lacquer
• Seat shell: birch, black or white lacquer
• Dimensions: 60 x 80 x 64 cm

Made for a sanatorium

Artek's page says the chair was created for the interior of a tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio and is considered one of Aalto's masterpieces. Artek's Spaces page lists Paimio Sanatorium (Health & Wellbeing, 1933) with this chair as its product. Wikipedia adds that the Aaltos designed several types of furniture and lamps for the sanatorium in 1929–33, that this chair is the best known, and that it was designed for patients who sat for long hours each day.

Image source: Artek — Paimio Armchair 41 · © Artek and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Wood, bent to its limit

Wikipedia reports that Aalto argued the angle of the back was the one that let a patient breathe most easily, and that the degree of bending tested the technical limits of the time. The chair is part of the permanent collections of MoMA in New York and the Finnish Design Museum, according to the same article.