Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, one of the first and most influential architects and designers of the Scandinavian modern movement, designed the Armchair 41 also known as the Piamio chair. Aalto had a unique style based on irregular and symmetric forms and the imaginative use of natural materials. His most famous architectural work is the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, Finland
The Armchair 41 was created as a part of the Paimio Sanatorium’s overall project, which Aalto was commissioned to design after an award he won for a competition. His idea was to create an exquisite piece of furniture that would support its purpose. The chair was designed for tuberculosis patients to spend long hours on it every day as the angle of the back rest was perfect and assisted them with breathing easily.
Although inspired by Marcel Breuer's metal Wassily chair, Aalto decided to deviate away from the traditional use of metal tubes and use something warmer and more human for the furniture. The Armchair 41 was manufactured of bent plywood and laminated wood. The frame of the chair was shaped of laminated birch bent into a unique closed curve with solid birch rails and the seat of the chair is molded from one piece of plywood. The idea was to make a wooden chair feel soft, and Aalto delivered this feeling through its springy seat.
In succeeding to find the perfect balance between abstraction, tradition, natural materials and organic form, the Armchair 41, marked of the beginning of Aalto's career as a furniture designer. Now a design icon, the Armchair 41 is available in numerous museums around the world.
