A breakthrough in chair production
1. What is the story behind stool 60?
Stool 60 designed by Alvar Aalto, one of the most classical chair designs during the past 87 years. In 1933, Alvar Aalto invented a ground-breaking production method that could be used to bend solid pieces of wood into the L-shaped form intended for the legs of chairs and tables. The technique breaks with longstanding traditions of furniture production and allows the warm, organic qualities of wood could be used to form stable hardwearing designs. The system of standard components enabled the creation of more than 50 versatile products.
Aalto called the L-leg “the little sister of the architectural column to provides a connection with the horizontal level"
2. How is stool 60 produced?
Stool 60 manufactured in 42 production steps at the A-Factory in Turku, Finland
- To turn raw birch into the L-leg, the timber is first soaked to soften the wood when the birch tree arrived at the factory from Finland.
- Multiple saw cuts are made in one end of the blank for the L-leg, the deeper the cut, the bigger the bend. Thin pieces of wood are dipped in glue and forced into the gaps in the resultant.
- Then the wood is bent to a 90-degree angle using heat and steam. The finished leg is screwed to the underside of the seat and could be stacked into towers – a clever way of saving space where necessary.
This method superseded complicated joints which called for a high degree of work by hand. This invention increases the stability of the component, which meant a major leap forward towards the production of furniture, which is exactly what Aalto was aiming for in the early 1930s and now becomes a long-lasting tradition of furniture design.
3. What is the value behind stool 60?
Today, Stool 60 still being one of the most elemental of furniture pieces thanks to its long-lasting look, sustainable material, and production method. We see different artists, designers been co-operated together to bring a new look of its classic design.
ARTEK 2ND CYCLE
In 2006, Artek began collecting used Aalto chairs and stools in 2006 to offers these re-discovered pieces for sale, beginning a second cycle in their lives which not only showcases the longevity of furniture also promotes the idea that what we buy should be carefully chosen, cherished rather than disposed.
COLLABORATION
In 2019, Artek partnered with indigo-dye specialist BUAISOU from the Tokushima prefecture, brings together Alvar Aalto’s iconic design with a traditional plant-based Japanese coloring technique; Also the collaboration between the Japan-based fashion company Minä Perhonen designing a durable interior fabric for Artek’s Three-legged stacking Stool 60, the color and texture may change as time goes, and that each stool will be passed down for generations.
Without being limited by usage, space, fashion, the appreciation bending technique now passed on to the new stage and every scratch and memories left during use, this be the true reason for its special value
