The Finnish architect and designer, Alvar Aalto began his work in the 1920s in line with the nordic classicism of that time and gradually moved towards functionalist design. The Paimio Sanatorium (1929-1933) in the southwest of Finland, which he designed together with his wife, Aino, is widely considered to be Aalto's most significant work of functionalist architecture. Paimio embodies the relationship between the animate human body and inanimate surroundings; a kind of symbiosis that merges the human desire for aesthetic and functionality and thus transcends disciplinary boundaries of mainstream functionalist architecture.The Aalto's followed through with this holistic approach to the smallest details.
The Armchair 42 - or "Small Paimio" - designed 1932 by Alvar Aalto specifically for the interior of the Paimio Sanatorium is still thought of as one of his masterpieces and reflects the same paradigm shift from traditional functionalism. Made from native Finnish birch, going through a wood-bending and laminating-process - a technique developed by Aalto in collaboration with Otto Korhonen - the chair is able to produce a cantilevered shape. The seat and back are crafted from one thin sheet of pressed plywood. The fluidity of the design creates perfect ergonomics; design and comfort co-existing, reflecting the principal intention of healing and recuperation that was central to the Paimio Sanatorium. The result in an exceptionally aesthetic armchair without straight lines and devoid of harsh angles that could take away from its serenity. Since wood changes over time, the armrests are formed from a single piece that is then split in half, ensuring that as the chair ages, it remains perfectly balanced.
