Aalto chair 69, birch

Chair 69 was designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1935. Chair 69 is one of Aalto’s best-known dining chairs, and its simple yet vivid character easily suits any room of the house. The wide seat and backrest provide superior stability and everyday function for various different situations.

The chair uses Aalto’s L-leg structure, which allows the legs to be attached directly to the seat. At the time, the L-leg structure was considered nothing short of revolutionary, giving a major boost for all modern Scandinavian design. The same technique is still used to bend the legs of Aalto’s chair: a piece of straight, solid birch is sawn open at the end in the direction of the fibres, forming the shape of a fan. Thin pieces of plywood are then glued in the grooves. This structure makes it possible to bend the wood by heating or steaming the desired angle and when dry, it will have a very strong texture that can be easily attached to the seat.

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.