artek: the making of the patented L-shaped stool 60 by alvar aalto

the focus on wood processing and the collaboration between otto korhonen in the 1930s led to the development of innovative ways of bending wood, resulting in the bent L-shaped leg – which was patented in 1933 – and alvar aalto’s classic ‘stool 60’ by artek. standardized construction, an idea championed by alvar aalto, paved the way for socially oriented design and architectural planning, and mass production methods for manufacturing. the L-leg was followed in the 1940s by the Y-leg, and in the 1950s by the X-leg. otto korhonen’s expertise of woodworking techniques, combined with aalto’s visionary sense of form and his mastery of technology, created the foundation for the birth of the design collection.

the cooperation between alvar aalto and otto korhonen that began in the 1930s was part of a trilateral agreement, which included finnish furniture factory huonekalu- ja rakennustyötehdas, aino and alvar aalto, and artek. now in 2014, a few months vitra AG took ownership of artek, the finnish has acquired the alvar aalto furniture production of HKT korhonen, integrating the factory’s manufacturing processes into its current chain of operations.

to see the iconic stool produced from raw plank to polished furniture, watch the video below:

‘my furniture rarely, if ever, comes into being as a result of professional design. almost without exception, I have them in conjunction with the architectural whole in order to accompany the architecture, be it public building, aristocratic residence or working-class housing.’ – alvar aalto

sanded seat-pans ready for assembly