"Objects are made to be completed by the human mind." -Alvar Aalto

Admired as much for its sculptural presence as for its comfort, the Paimio Chair (also known as chair 41) seems to test the limits of bent plywood manufacturing. The chair's framework consists of two closed loops of laminated wood, between which rides the seat-a thin sheet of plywood tightly bent at both top and bottom into sinuous scrolls, giving it greater resiliency. Inspired by Marcel Breuer's tubular-steel Wassily Chair of 1927-28, Aalto chose, instead, native birch for its natural feel and insulating properties, and developed a more organic form. Available in your choice of finish options.

Alvar Aalto was a highly talented architect and an eager spokesman for the international modernist movement. Aalto's designs were innovative and radical and became known for his experimental approach to bending wood, which greatly influenced American designers Charles & Ray Eames and Finnish-born Eero Saarinen. His style became known as humanist modernism. Alvar Aalto's dialogue with nature, architecture, design and the human being has become a living legacy.