Aalto armchair 401, birch - blue

Artek’s Armchair 401 was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933. For many decades, the iconic chair has been a part of Finnish interiors — and the Armchair 401 will continue to add style to living spaces for generations to come.

The lightweight and streamlined Armchair 401 was originally designed for the Paimio Sanatorium, like other Aalto classics. With its calm appearance, the chair was well suited for the Sanatorium offering privacy for the patients due to the high back and small wings adjoining the headrest.

Artek’s Armchair 401 is very pleasant to sit on. The back of the chair is slightly tilted to provide support for the neck and head. Both armrests of the Armchair 401 have been formed from a single piece of form-bent birch lamella that is then split in half. Even if the wood changes over time, Artek’s armchair remains perfectly stable.

Alvar Aalto

Artek was founded in 1935 by four young idealists – Alvar and Aino Aalto, Nils-Gustav Hahl and Maire Gullichsen published a design manifesto inspired by functionalism, stating that Artek’s aim was “to sell furniture and to promote modern culture of habitation by exhibitions and other means”. Since its foundation, Artek has played in the intersection of design, architecture, and art, making Finnish design and Alvar Aalto's furniture known all over the world.