At the Milan Triennial in 1936, Alvar Aalto unveiled his design for this historic easy chair. The Armchair 400 is one of his most successful designs, and it is part of Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. It can be seen also in the parliament building in Bonn, Germany.
The seat lets you relax in comfort, with its solid wood frame, metal springs, and upholstered foam. The fun zebra upholstery adds dramatic flair to the simple chair shape; other upholstery options are also available. Wide, sturdy armrests. Made of bent, laminated birch. Birch ages gracefully, taking on a rich, honey color. Laminates are 3-mm thick, so fewer plies and less glue are used. Birch is a nontropical, renewable resource; two birch trees are planted for every one used in the production of Aalto furniture. With its low-slung look and solid shape, the chair was affectionately nicknamed the "tank".
To Aalto, a piece of furniture was not simply an isolated object. He saw furniture as part of a harmonious interior. Born in Finland, invoking nature was typical and natural for Aalto. Finland's forests and lake landscapes were an unending source of inspiration and spiritual renewal for him. Nature offered countless themes to which he applied his own interpretation. From this philosophical foundation, he and a handful of fellow designers started a movement against what they viewed as the dehumanizing impact of the Machine Age. So he posed what was considered a radical alternative. He brought a human perspective to design and, in the process, became a pioneer of modernism. His message: aesthetics and functionality belong to all.
Year of design: 1936