Found this classic chair at an op-shop down Chapel Street. This chair is constructed from one material only, which is oak wood.
Side Profile
Rear Profile
The seat is constructed from 3 pieces of wood joint together
Detailed view of construction
Monday 29 August 2011
Monday 15 August 2011
Detailed Investigation
Paimio Chair - Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto (1898 – 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. During his lifetime, he has produced numerous design works which ranged from architectural work to interior design, furniture and glassware design, and painting. As a designer, Aalto had incorporated various styles in his works, starting with Nordic Classicism, to International Style Modernism, and to a more organic modernist style.
Influenced by the members of Bauhaus school of design, Aalto grew interest in experimenting with wood, which later led him to incorporate wood in architectural details and forms. His experiments with wood led to an invention of laminated bent-plywood furniture in 1932, the Paimio Chair.
The Paimio Chair was inspired by Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair which was made from tubular steel, contrasting with the Paimio Chair which was made from native birch plywood. Aalto chose plywood over steel because he wanted to give natural and organic feel to the chair. The Paimio Chair is assembled from two closed loops of laminated wood (forming the arms and legs) and a thin sheet of plywood (forming the seat) which is bent at the top and bottom, making the chair resilient.
Aalto placed an angle at the back of his armchair because the chair was originally designed to be used in the patients’ lounge in a tuberculosis sanatorium. The angle was purposed to help sitters breathe easily.
The Paimio Chair is undoubtedly a design icon. The materials and construction embodied modernism principles, giving a great influence on modern furniture designers, such as Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen.
NGV Sketches & Photo Essay
D.A.F. Armchair - George Nelson
W.W. Stool - Philippe Starck
Wiggle Side Chair - Frank Gehry
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