Artek: Aalto's Stool 60 anniversary edition

The stackable stool 60 created in 1933 by Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) represents the quintessence of functionalist furniture design. The simple idea behind this now-classic stool is based on three bent legs and a round seat. The secret of the original Aalto stool´s success lies in its legs´unique bends that eventually became the distinctive feature of all Aalto furniture. The stool is also manufactured in a four-legged version. On its 80th anniversary, Artek has presented a new five colors limited edition!

Aalto's stool 60 was first introduced to the international public at the Wood Only exhibition in London in November 1933, to rave reviews. The simple, stackable and durable wooden stool represented a new approach to furniture design, and a continuation of the brand of modernism initiated by Bauhaus. The use of wood instead of bent steel was revolutionary at the time. Aalto spent years developing the L-shaped leg at the Korhonen furniture factory. The development of Stool 60 alone took several years. Aalto kept testing different technical  solutions together with the experts of the factory. The result of their collaboration is a durable and modern technical solution that later on led to the creation of many other classic designs.
In 1935, just a few days before the founding of Artek, the Municipal Library in Vyborg was opened where Stool 60 was for the first time used in a public building. Stool 60 represents a crystallization of the values of Artek concerning the importance of technology, art and ethics. Stool 60 is the number one seller of Artek products and one of the most famous design products of the world.

http://www.artek.fi/