The making of Stool 60

Artek’s humble three-legged Stool 60, designed by Alvar Aalto, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2023. This most essential piece of furniture is manufactured at Artek’s own factory in Finland, employing a unique production process honed over decades. An extensive modernisation of the factory has been completed just in time for the anniversary.

Aalto, Korhonen and the L-leg

In the late 1920s, the young architect Alvar Aalto met the talented carpenter Otto Korhonen, who had founded the furniture production company Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas, located close to Turku in Finland, in 1910. Together, they developed innovative wood-bending techniques, through which wood could be used to form solid and hard-wearing designs, while retaining its warm, organic qualities. Their major invention was the so-called L-leg, patented by Aalto in 1933, and first used in Stool 60. Aalto called the L-leg “the little sister of the architectural column”, as it provided a key structural element for his pioneering range of furniture made from Finnish birch. The L-leg soon expanded into a system of standard components used in more than 50 Artek products.

The making of Stool 60

Artek is intrinsically connected to the Finnish forest. More than 80% of Artek furniture, including Stool 60, is made from birch trees grown, felled, and seasoned in central Finland. In mixed forests, Finnish birch grows tall, reaching 20 to 30 metres high, and produces wood that is close-grained, strong, and consistently of a high quality. Each birch tree harvested for Artek is 50 to 80 years old, and is felled during winter, when no pests can damage the timber. The wood is then slowly air-dried outdoors for up to twelve months, kept in a shelter to protect it from rain and snow.

The making of Stool 60 involves an interplay of traditional handcraft and modern production machinery, and features more than 40 production steps, which have been optimised over decades. Cut-offs from the manufacture of Stool 60’s L-legs become seat tops, while leftovers such as bark and sawdust are used to fuel the factory’s heating system, thus the production process creates minimal waste. Stool 60 is flat- packed, which in turn minimises storage and shipping volumes. More about the production of Stool 60 can be discovered in a new video on artek.fi.

Modernisation of the a-factory

Since the 1930s, Alvar Aalto’s furniture has been continuously produced in Turku, with only a short war-related interruption. In 2014, Artek acquired the Korhonen furniture factory, now known as the a-factory. Spread over 7,000 m2, it houses a semi-industrial operation where automated processes meet master handcraftsmanship. Expert carpenters handle every piece of furniture, employing Aalto and Korhonen’s original techniques for bending solid birch, lamella, plywood and veneer.

One of Finland’s oldest furniture production sites, the a-factory is today as active as ever. To keep up with increasing demand, an extensive modernisation of the factory has recently taken place, raising its production capacities and further improving its environmental performance. The manufacture of L-legs, which remains at the core of the a-factory’s operations, has been renewed with an advanced machine line specifically tailored for the central wood-bending steps.

A new spraying line applies only water-based lacquers and stains as surface finishes, and features an electrostatic system that reduces consumption of paint by up to 30% compared to standard spraying lines. 100% of the energy needed for the factory’s heating comes from Artek’s own production waste, which also fuels the water-based heating system of the production machines.

Continuous improvement

In other improvements, the packaging of Stool 60 and Stool E60 has now been redesigned as a more compact carry-away box with an ergonomically sound handle. With a 24% reduction in overall volume, this new packaging has substantial benefits for both warehousing and transport, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. Made in Finland from at least 80% recycled cardboard, the new box also eliminates the need for adhesive tape. By the end of 2023, the packaging will use natural fibres only, allowing for full mono-material recycling with other waste paper.

About Artek

Artek was founded in Helsinki in 1935 by four young idealists: Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen, and Nils-Gustav Hahl. Their goal was “to sell furniture and to promote a modern culture of living by exhibitions and other educational means.” In keeping with the radical spirit of its founders, Artek today remains an innovative player in the world of modern design, developing new products at the intersection of design, architecture, and art. The Artek collection consists of furniture, lighting, and accessories designed by Finnish masters and leading international designers. It stands for clarity, functionality, and poetic simplicity.

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