A floor on a stool

The intertwining of the brands is reflected in the design, where we screen-printed a direct replica of the Nordiska Galleriet's well-known checkered floor, with its 110-year patination of scratches and dirt intact. Stool 60 will be available in a limited edition of 100 pieces, all numbered. The Stool NE60 children's stool will also be available in a limited edition of the same number.

Aalto began his work as an architect in the 1920s in the spirit of Nordic classicism. By the end of the decade, he had come increasingly close to functionalism and modernism. In 1935, together with his wife Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, he founded the furniture company Artek. The name is a fusion of 'art' and 'technology', two elements that characterised the 20th century modernist movement and were coined by the prominent modernist Walter Gropius.

Stool 60 was designed in 1933 and in the same year it was also produced in large quantities for the Vyborg Library in Russia, which Aalto designed as an architect. At this time, Aalto was one of the pioneers of lamination and woodworking. His innovative and experimental technique of processing fine birch wood resulted in a more organic shape, which was groundbreaking at the time. This laid the foundation for the familiar L-shaped legs that support the stool and have become perhaps Aalto's most recognisable signature.

His innovative and experimental technique of processing fine birch wood resulted in a more organic shape [...]. This laid the foundation for the familiar L-shaped legs that support the stool and have become perhaps Aalto's most recognisable signature.

The breakthrough came when Stool 60 reached the British public. Later, as it made its way across the Atlantic, it came to dominate the American art scene in the 1950s, so much so that MoMA added the stool to its permanent collection of designer furniture in 1958. Thanks to its simple design that straddles the line between function and innovative design, it has been appreciated for over a century for its versatility and stylishness - a result of Aalto's functionalism and architectural inspiration.

Just like the floor at Nordiska Galleriet, the stool ages with dignity. Every scuff, stain and scratch creates character and personality and makes it more beautiful over time. Stool 60 is an object to preserve.

Products featured in the post

Stool 60 Nordiska Galleriet Limited Edition

Artek