Märta Blomstedt (1899-1982)
Matti Lampén (1906-1961)
The Aulanko Hotel, designed for tourists and congresses, is situated amidst picturesque Finnish lakeland scenery. It lies on the shore of Lake Vanajavesi in a splendid park in the Hämeenlinna region. The hotel was designed in the mid-1930s by Architects Märta Blomstedt and Matti Lampén. It was opened in 1938 and was considered one of the most significant buildings representing functionalism in Finland at the time. The hotel belongs to Docomomo (The International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement). It was also declared along with the surrounding park as a Nationally Significant built Cultural Environment by the Finnish Heritage Agency.
The ground floor plan showing the drawing room to the upper right corner with the 20 Aulanko chairs
As the hotel was not only built for tourists and was one of the first congressional centers in Finland, there was an emphasis to create large spaces for meetings, seminars and gatherings of large numbers of people. As such a space naturally housed a restaurant and a café with the capacity to serve up to 760 people, they had to be separated by design from the building housing the guest rooms to eliminate noise and offer a calm relaxing environment for the guest.
In the designing of the hotel interior, there was an emphasis on using local materials and woods of different types. For example, the walls of the restaurant were covered with pine, the café with birch and the reception area with elm veneer. The drawing room walls were covered with a newly used spruce root veneer that started as a test but measured to all expectations. The lighting fixtures were ordered from Idman and were designed by Paavo Tynell and executed by Taito. As for the furniture and except for the Aulanko chairs, all pieces were local standard furniture models from Artek, Merivaara, Keravan Puuseppätehdas Oy, Stockmann, Wilh. Schuman, and others.
The Drawing Room
Between the hustle and bustle of the main public spaces and the private calm guest room areas, a space was created in what was then called the drawing room and later became a symbol of the luxurious hotel. This room housed the Iconic “Aulanko Chair” that was specifically designed by Märta Blomstedt for this social area.
The room also had other tubular steel tables and furniture. It also featured sizable Paavo Tynell dome like lamps in two sizes and a commissioned large size “Chinese hat” floor lamps.
The Aulanko Chair
The reason why Blomstedt took it upon herself to only design the drawing room chair is unclear, but if anything, it shows the importance she gave the space and the thought of bringing people together for memorable moments in a cozy atmosphere beside the fireplace. The chair had tubular steel legs that reflect the influence her late husband Architect Pauli Blomstedt had on her. He was one of the driving forces behind the functionalism movement in Finland and unfortunately passed away in 1935 at the young age of 35.
The original drawings for the Aulanko chair dated 26.7.1938 and later adopted by Artek in 1939.
The ad for the Cabinetmaker Arvo Laine from 1938.
The chair was made by Cabinet Maker Arvo Laine in Hämeenlinna. According to the plans and drawings, only 20 chairs were made, and all were situated in the drawing room. The chairs were originally upholstered with different colors; mostly blue, gray shades, and red with a white combination. Although sizable, the chairs were light as they had a pine structure. The padding materials were from Salminen Nahkatehtaat / Tampere.
After the completion of the Hotel, Artek bought the rights for the Aulanko chair and started producing in limited amounts exchanging the tubular legs with elongated wooden trail-like legs, see figures below. That could be due to the lack of tubular steel during war time as all such materials were relocated into military use. Later in the 1940s.
The chair was produced by a few cabinet makers and the legs were further modified into ball shaped ones. Most of the Aulanko chairs on the market are of this latter version. The chairs had different styles of upholstery.
Explore the Aulanko Chair Collection
If you’re captivated by the Aulanko chair and its timeless design, we invite you to explore our exclusive collection of vintage Aulanko chairs available on our website. Whether you’re a collector or simply a design enthusiast, these iconic pieces of Finnish craftsmanship are a perfect addition to any home or collection.
References:
- Hotel Aulanko, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran Kirjapainon Oy, Helsinki 1939.
- Arkitekten, the Finnish Architectural Journal, Finnish Architectural Association, p. 1-16, Helsinki 1939.
- Buisness Architecture in Finland, Suomen Arkkitehtiliitto, p. 80, Helsinki 1959.
- The Finnish Heritage Agency, Nationally Significant built Cultural Environments RKY official webpage. Published 2009.
- Artek archives 1938-1939, The Alvar Aalto museum, Jyväskylä.
Author: Shadi Haddadin
