Model 31 Paimio Chair from Alvar Aalto, 1940s

Rare sculptural and collectable armchair model No. 31 / Paimo by Alvar Aalto. Produced by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy Turku, produced during the 1930/40s. Steam bent plywood beech frame, seat in laminated root veneer. The armchair model no. 31 was designed in 1931/32 and manufactured at first by Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, formerly called O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B, now known as model 42 and produced by Artek. The chair was first presented by Aalto in the spring of 1932 as a proposal for the interior design of the Paimio Sanatorium. The common rooms of the sanatorium were furnished with cheerful coloured chairs, among others the armchair no.31. As the story goes, the shape of the chair was designed to assist the patients’ breathing. In 1933, the model no. 31, this time a upholstered version was also shown in London as part of the ‘Wood Only’ exhibition. The armchair was shown in the years to follow at several international exhibitions, including the Triennale di Milano, 1936. Later, this chair has been referred to as model no. 42, or 'Small Paimio', referring to the Paimio Sanatorium where it was first used. There is no difference between model 31 and 42. However, the model 42 is still in production today by Artek, and the production of model 31 discontinued. The earliest production models of the no. 31 have sides / base (armrests) made out of beech, this later changed into birch. Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, formerly called O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B is a former furniture producer located in Littoinen, Kaarina, Finland. The company was once known for manufacturing Alvar Aalto designed furniture. The company was started in 1910 when Otto Korhonen and three other carpenters bought Puuseppien Osuuskunta ("Carpenters' Co-operative") based in Turku, then the Grand Duchy of Finland. At the end of the 1920s Otto Korhonen partnered with architect Alvar Aalto. Aalto had recently gotten into two large projects: the Southwestern Agricultural Cooperative Building in Turku and the Paimio Sanatorium. The sanatorium was the most significant collaborative project between Korhonen and Aalto. Aalto designed the building itself; he and Korhonen designed a range of armchairs and tables for the facility's personnel and patients. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas manufactured the furniture and other interior elements. The Paimio Sanatorium project represents the introduction of Aalto's stackable furniture designs which later influenced the American designers Charles and Ray Eames. In the 1930s Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas developed a special wood bending method. Aalto used the technique extensively. Korhonen's furniture production was sold to Artek, a subsidiary of Vitra, in 2014 and continues in Littoinen under the new name. Literature: Tuukkanen, Pirkko, Alvar Aalto: Designer, Vammala (Alvar Aalto Foundation) 2002.