"31" Armchair

Alvar Aalto|Artek Oy

1931–32 · Laminated and painted birch plywood and bentwood · Modern and Contemporary Art

Aalto created this lightweight, economical, and comfortable chair by suspending a scrolled seating panel between two U-shaped wood frames. It is built as a free cantilever, which allows the chair to be supported without back legs, a principle previously applied only to metal furniture. The piece is composed of laminated plywood, a material as strong as bent tubular steel but warmer and more textured. Flowing organic contours accentuate the chair’s appeal to a prospective sitter.

Artist

Alvar Aalto|Artek Oy

Date

1931–32

Medium

Laminated and painted birch plywood and bentwood

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meltzer Gift, 1984