Lot 41
ALVAR AALTO (FINNISH 1898-1976)
SET OF FIVE STACKING CHAIRS, DESIGNED 1929
Auction: 30 October from 10:00 GMT
Description
model 611, painted birch
Dimensions
80cm high, 48.5cm wide, 48cm deep (31 ½in high, 19in wide, 18 7/8in deep) (5)
Provenance
The Dartington Hall Trust, Devon.
Footnote
Alvar Aalto’s Chair 611, introduced in 1929, was conceived as a practical seating solution for public assembly spaces. Constructed from solid birch, the design combined durability with a lightweight form and was marketed by Artek as the definitive auditorium chair of its day. Often referred to as the “row chair,” it exemplified Aalto’s commitment to functional, human-centred design.
Like many of Aalto’s furniture designs, Chair 611 originated in response to the requirements of a specific architectural commission. Its earliest known use was in the auditorium of the Jyväskylä Defence Corps Building, designed by Aalto between 1926 and 1929.
