In 1929, Alvar Aalto won the design competition for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio in southwest Finland. Construction began in April 1930, and the sanatorium was inaugurated in June 1933. Aalto designed it meticulously with patients’ needs in mind and also created all the furniture and lighting. In April 1932, he presented three furniture designs at the Nordic Housing Fair in Helsinki, including the lounge chair later known as the Paimio Chair.
The design followed a long developmental phase. Around 1931, Aalto began experimenting with laminated wood to create stable, organically shaped chair frames. For the Paimio Chair, thin veneer layers were glued and pressed into shape, allowing several frames to be cut from a single broad piece. By arranging the veneers so they ended at different points, the frame appears seamless. The curved seat shell is attached to the frame only at its top and bottom ends, resting on reinforced overhangs. As the shell forms a loop within the frame, it yields slightly under the sitter’s weight, giving the chair a springy character valued at the time of its design.
Text: Jochen Einsenbrand
