"31" Armchair

Alvar Aalto Finnish
Manufacturer Artek Oy Finnish
1931–32
Not on view
Aalto created this lightweight, economical, and comfortable chair by suspending a scrolled seating panel between two U-shaped wood frames. It is built as a free cantilever, which allows the chair to be supported without back legs, a principle previously applied only to metal furniture. The piece is composed of laminated plywood, a material as strong as bent tubular steel but warmer and more textured. Flowing organic contours accentuate the chair’s appeal to a prospective sitter.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "31" Armchair
  • Artist: Alvar Aalto (Finnish, Kuortane 1898–1976 Helsinki)
  • Manufacturer: Artek Oy
  • Date: 1931–32
  • Medium: Laminated and painted birch plywood and bentwood
  • Dimensions: 25 3/4 × 24 1/2 × 30 5/8 in., 16 lb. (65.4 × 62.2 × 77.8 cm, 7.3 kg)
  • Classification: Furniture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meltzer Gift, 1984
  • Object Number: 1984.223
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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