Artek Lounge Chair 43 Designed by Alvar Aalto
Photo by Stylepark.com
Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer regarded as one of the pioneers of modernism. He is credited in part for the global proliferation of Nordic design. After securing an architecture degree from Helsinki Institute of Technology in 1921, Aalto got his start designing public buildings in Finland. In 1935, Aalto co-founded his furniture company, Artek, with his wife Aino – also an architect – and colleagues Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl. Their goal was to “sell (Aaalto’s) furniture and promote a modern culture of living by exhibitions and other educational means.” The name Artek merges “art” and “technology,” and today remains an influential company in the world of modern design.
Aalto’s designs are often described as organic, humanistic, and close to nature. His pieces are most easily recognized by their bend plywood material, as can be seen in the Lounge Chair 43.
