Olivia Chair

Do we need yet another chair? Yes, of course! Chairs are more than just function; they are condensed manifestations of art and culture. They are that indispensable interface between the natural world and civilization. Furthermore, Olivia Chair is in a class of its own. The sheets of molded plywood render it slender yet strong. It appears like a graphic sign: a slim profile seen from the side, and almost 2-dimensional beheld from front or back. And at the same time with a distinctive form language that is an invitation to sit down, and that will endow ones body with a harmonic symmetry, almost like a ritual. Olivia Chair allows for casual sitting as well, with the concave shape acting as a welcoming counterpoint. Olivia Chair explores how to balance lightness, sturdiness, and comfort: slender in appearance and comfortable to sit on according to Tatu Laakso. And of course, renewably made all in wood. ‘The opening in the back let you rest on your back muscles, not on your spine, ensuring comfort even throughout the longest dinners’ explains Tatu Laakso. Paying close attention to detail, the young Finnish designer made the legs slightly thicker than the backrest for durability and strength. The chair is made from form-pressed oak and rubber wood veneer, available in four different lacquered versions. Tatu Laakso crafted the chair already during his master studies at Aalto University of Art, Design and Architecture. He was both inspired and triggered to challenge Alvar Aalto’s more robust designs. ’We had Aalto furniture in school, in libraries, in all kinds of public settings here in Finland, it was something you grew up, always nice to use and gaze at, you took it for granted and didn’t even recognize it as good design as a child.’