Artek Forest Collection, Forest Collection, Aalto Chair 69 wild birch, natural lacquered

Artek - Chair 69 wild birch, natural lacquered.

Artek's Chair 69, designed in 1935, has become one of Alvar Aalto's most popular dining chairs and is part of the permanent collection of MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The timeless chair features Aalto's patented L-leg structure, which allows the legs to be attached directly to the round seat. Compared to his other dining chairs, Chair 66 has a higher backrest, which makes it comfortable to sit on and gives the design its distinctive look.

Chair 69 in wild birch is an ode to the beauty of birch wood: this chair is made of so-called wild birch, which shows the natural variation of the material in its entirety. By using "wild birch", Artek wants to challenge our expectations of visual uniformity in natural materials. Due to climate change, Finnish wood now has more color variations than before, as well as traces left by insects that were previously not seen in Finnish forests. These marks or knots do not affect the durability or usability of the wood, but are merely features of the above.

Chair 69 was originally designed for the Viipuri Municipal Library. In addition to the design of the building itself, Alvar Aalto also designed the interior, lamps and furniture, including Chair 69.

Colour: Wild Birch
Width 44 cm Depth 47 cm Height 76 cm
Chair height 45.5 cm
Material Birch
Notes: Delivered flat packed.

The designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976),

This is probably the most famous Finnish architect and designer in the world. In 1921, Alvar Aalto obtained a degree in architecture from the Helsinki Institute of Technology and started his career as an architect. One of the most important works he got was the planning of the tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, Finland. This project also marked the start of Aalto's career as a furniture designer - in fact, this was the first building planned by Aalto that was fully furnished with furniture designed by Aalto himself, including the lighting. Other important projects Alvar Aalto completed include the Municipal Library of Viipuri, Villa Mairea, La Maison Carré and the Finnish Pavilions for the 1937 Paris and 1939 New York World's Fairs.