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Chair 69 was designed by Alvar Aalto for Artek in 1935. Chair 69 is one of Aalto’s best-known dining chairs, and its vivid yet straightforward character easily suits any room of the house. The wide seat and backrest provide superior stability and everyday function for various situations. The chair uses Aalto’s L-leg structure, which allows the legs to be attached directly to the seat. The L-leg structure was considered nothing short of revolutionary, giving all modern Scandinavian designs a significant boost. The same technique is still used to bend Aalto’s chair’s legs: a piece of straight, solid birch is sawn open at the end in the direction of the fibres, forming the shape of a fan. Thin slices of plywood are then glued in the grooves. This structure makes it possible to bend the wood by heating or steam at the desired angle, and when dry, it will have a firm texture that can be easily attached to the seat.
