I’m very familiar with the work of Alvar Aalto but when I first saw the 403 Hallway Armchair I was sure that it was a product made by the Finnish manufacturer Artek but it looked so modern that I was unsure if this was a new product or something designed by Aalto.
I had convinced myself that this was a chair designed recently with the spirit of the traditional products which Aalto produced to fit in to the market for occasional seating in the home or office. The shape is so simple yet something that looks like it was designed in 2013.
So to discover that this chair was designed in 1932 was quite a surprise as this 81-year old chair is as good as anything being produced now, and stackable as if the same values that we design for now were an exact copy of those from the 1930s.
I know it is hard to see it now with so many designs emulating this, but take yourself back to the 1930s where most homes were still very traditional in style and only a few were beginning to bring more modern styles in to their homes with designs of art deco or modernist style.
Aalto was commissioned to design a tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, Finland which was completed in 1932. The building served exclusively as a tuberculosis sanatorium until the early 1960s, when it was converted into a general hospital. But Alvar Aalto didn’t just design a building, he and his wife Aino designed all of the sanatorium’s furniture and interiors including the 403 Hallway Armchair.
Now part of the permanent collection of MoMA, the 403 chair has become a lesser-known icon of 1930s design. A vintage version of the armchair made by Finmar (between 1948-1965) is currently on sale through Sigmar for £3800 whereas a new version would now cost just £441.
Designer: Alvar Aalto
Manufacturer: Artek
Year: 1932
Price: £463 at Nest.co.uk
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