Armchair

The armchair was designed as part of the project for the Paimio pulmonary diseases hospital. It is one of the first pieces of furniture that Aalto did with the revolutionary bent veneer and solid wood technology. The set and backrest are made of a single piece of veneered board bent in a mould, while the frame is made of laminated steam-bent solid birch. The fluent and organic lines of Aalto’s chair meant a drastic departure from the then prevailing austerely geometrical modernism. In experiments with bending veneered board and with organic forms, Aalto had a profound influence on the whole of the post-war generation of American and European designers, and is considered the father of organic design.