The Finnish architect and designer, Märta Blomstedt, was one of the driving forces of the Finnish functionalism movement. Her first works were noted for their functional, rather than decorative appearance, which clearly changed as evidence by these famous “Aulanko” armchairs.

Blomstedt designed all aspects of her buildings including the furnishings, demonstrated in one of her most noted designs of the Hotel Aulanko. The hotel was conceived as a single work of art and the furnishings, dishes and textiles were part of the project. This model – designed in 1939 - got its name after this architectural project and was specifically designed for the lobby of the hotel in Hämeenlinna, Finland. While it has been stated before that this model was heavily inspired by Danish designer, Fleming Lassen's genre-defining 'Tired Man' wing chair from 1935, the “Aulanko” became world-famous in its own right. Most notable is the voluminous body that stands on four bun shaped feet. While this model originally had tubular steel legs, various iterations were produced for the hotel over the subsequent decades. This version with spherical wooden bun feet is one of the earliest examples created and until the late 1940s, Artek marketed this version of the armchair. The flowing, round lines are beautifully accentuated by the light sheepskin. Furthermore, the warm brown colour of the wooden feet nicely contrasts to the soft, light colour of the upholstery, creating a cosy look, not to mention that wooden bun feet make a long-lasting, rock solid foundation for any chair.

The large curves and rounded edges of the body and feet are very inviting, asking the user to be embraced by the soft sheepskin. The Aulanko Hotel in Hämeenlinna (the city of Jean Sibelius) was in its time a luxury hotel of international relevance. In this “Aulanko” chair, Finnish functionalist elegance, and Blomstetdt’s artistry is conveyed at its best.

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Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in premium sheepskin. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.

Dimensions:

41.73 in W x 42.51 in D x 34.64 in H; Seat height 16.14 in

106 cm W x 108 cm D x 88 cm H; Seat height 41 cm

Literature:

"Hotel Aulanko bei Tavastehus (Hämeenlinna): Architekten Märta Blomstedt und Matti Lampén," Das Werk: Architektur und Kunst = L'oeuvre: architecture et art, no. 27, 1940, p. 95 for a similar example

About the designer:

Märta Blomstedt (1899–1982) was an architect and one of the driving forces of the Finnish functionalism movement. She studied architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology and graduated as an architect in 1922. After graduating from the Helsinki University of Technology, Blomstedt (born von Willebrand) worked in several architecture agencies in the city of Turku in 1922 before undertake ambitious travel in Italy and in France until 1929.

After her husband's death, initially she formed a firm with Matti Lampén to complete projects her husband and she had begun. Later, she and Lampén established a firm designing their own creations. Among the works Blomstedt and Lampén designed were the Hotel Aulanko in Hämeenlinna. She approached her projects holistically and designs all aspects of it, perhaps the best example being the Hotel Aulanko in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The hotel Aulanko was designed as a work of art with the furnishings, dishes and textiles being a part of the building concept. The hotel was completed in 1939, and was a shining example of Finnish functionalism with furnishings by Artek, Taito and Stockmann. Märta Blomstedt contributed with a now highly sought after chair. The chairs made for the hotel, approximately 30 models, were created by cabinetmaker Arvo Laine in Hämeenlinna.

After Lampén’s passing, Blomstedt established a partnership with Olli Penttilä and continued to work into the 1970s as Blomstedt & Penttilä until her death in 1982.