Model 45 Dining Chairs in Bent plywood & Webbing by Alvar Aalto for Artek, 1940s, Set of 4

Model · 45
Designer · Alvar Aalto
Manufacturer · Artek
Origin · Finland
Period · 1940s
Style · Scandinavian Modern
Materials · Bent plywood, cotton webbing
Colour · Light yellow, beige

Object

Model 45 is almost entirely made from lines. Bent beech travels from the floor into the arms and around the body, while woven cotton belts stretch across the structure to create a seat from little more than tension and air. Nothing feels added. Every part seems to grow naturally into the next.

There is something distinctly Aalto about this softness. Modernism becomes warmer, more human and closer to nature. Wood bends where steel might have been expected, straight lines give way to curves, and the chair feels architectural without ever becoming rigid. Seen together as a set of four, the repeating frames create their own quiet rhythm in a room.

Designer

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) approached furniture as part of a much larger idea of living. Architecture, interiors, furniture, glass and even the smallest details of a room belonged to the same world, shaped around the people who would eventually inhabit it.

His experiments with bent wood became one of his most important contributions to modern design. Instead of following the cold industrial language emerging elsewhere in Europe, Aalto found modernity in forests, curves and the natural behaviour of materials. Plywood could bend, architecture could become intimate, and modern furniture could still feel deeply connected to the landscape from which it came.

Manufacturer

Artek was founded in Helsinki in 1935 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl with an unusually ambitious purpose: not simply to sell furniture, but to promote a new culture of living.

The company became the vessel through which Aalto's experiments entered everyday life. Furniture, architecture and art were allowed to exist as parts of the same idea, bringing Finnish modernism from Helsinki into homes around the world. Nearly a century later, Artek remains inseparable from the language Aalto helped create.

Condition

The seating has been completely reupholstered with new natural cotton webbing. The bent beech plywood frames have been carefully polished and finished with transparent lacquer, preserving the warmth and character of the wood. The chairs are presented in excellent vintage condition. As with any authentic vintage pieces, subtle traces of age and previous use may be present, adding to their history and individual character.

Dimensions

Width · 61 cm / 24.0 in
Depth · 58 cm / 23.0 in
Height · 79 cm / 31.0 in
Seat height · 41 cm / 16.0 in

Included

The armchairs are accompanied by a Back to the Furniture Certificate of Originality, a Back to the Furniture flyer, a Thank You card and a small gift.

Availability

The armchairs can be ready to ship within 10-15 workdays.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available. Every piece is carefully prepared and packed for international transport. Shipping costs are calculated according to destination at checkout, with tracking provided after dispatch.

Enquiries

For questions about the piece, its condition, shipping, delivery or any other details, please get in touch. Additional information is always available before purchase.

© Back to the Furniture