Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1935, the 80B table is a design classic produced by the Artek company, founded by the designer and his wife Aino Aalto. This table is made of birch, with the L-shaped leg system designed by Alvar Aalto. Functionality and timeless aesthetics underpin every piece produced by Artek. The 80A table works well in all types of spaces, both in the home – in a children's bedroom, for example – and in public places such as schools. It can also be used as a side table.
Born in Kuortane in 1898, Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto is Finland's most famous architect, town planner and designer, and one of the pioneers of organic design. After studying architecture at the Technical University of Helsinki, he organised exhibitions and travelled around Europe, from Italy to Scandinavia. In 1923, he opened his own architectural practice in Jyväskylä and married Aino Marsio, who soon became his closest collaborator. In 1935, the Aalto couple founded the Artek company. Plywood and glass are his materials of choice for a design that is both functional and seductive, with organic forms. A prolific and innovative designer, his creations are recognised the world over, from the Tea Trolley to the Pendant Lamp luminaires, not forgetting the chairs with their L-shaped legs, which allow the foot to be attached directly to the tabletop and which he called "the little column". Alvar Aalto drew inspiration from nature and abstraction to create his designs, using innovative techniques and natural materials. These products had to satisfy his demand for quality and durability, so that they would symbolise "the modern culture of the home". His studies enabled him to create buildings for which he designed the furniture himself. In 1952, he remarried the architect Elissa Mäkiniemi, with whom he worked until her death in 1976.
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ARTEK
Founded in 1935, Artek is committed to "selling furniture and promoting a culture of modern housing through exhibitions and other educational means." The founders, Aino and Alvar Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl decided to undertake an artistic synthesis by combining architecture, design and urbanism.
Artek has produced the greatest classics of the 20th century, such as Chair 65 and Pendant Light A330. Timeless functionality and aesthetics define each product. Most of the creations were designed by Alvar Aalto, but Artek also worked closely with international designers such as Naoto Fukasawa and Enzo Mari.