Set of 4 vintage Bauhaus Skaala armchairs by Yrjö Kukkapuro for Avarte, 1980s

This set of four Skaala chairs was designed by Yrjö Kukkapuro for the Finnish Avarte manufacture during the 1980s. Due to their modern and minimal look, they will easily find their place in the living room or office. The Skaala chair perfectly reflects Kukkapuro’s love for ergonomic furniture. This innovative combination of aesthetics and functionality refers to idea from Bauhaus shool. The frame is made of chrome-plated goldish metal. The seat and backrest are upholstered with high-quality gray fabric, and additional armrests are made of birch plywood. Yrjö Kukkapuro is a Finnish furniture designer. He is the important person of Finnish functionalism. He has mainly been working as a freelance designer since the 1950s, and most of the furniture he designed early in his career is still in production. "Does it make sense to design a chair that is not comfortable to sit on " - this is one of Kukkapuro’s favorite sayings, which perfectly reflects the designer’s love of ergonomic furniture. His designs aim at a subtle balance between functionality and aesthetics - a perfect example of this is the Karuselli chair by Artek and other iconic designs such as the Saturnus table, the Skaala chair, the Remmi series, and the Ateljee armchair and sofa. In his career, Kukkapuro has received many national and international awards - incl. Lunning Prize in 1966, First Prize at the International Chair Design Competition in Italy in 1972 and the Kaj Franck Design Prize in 1995. His works are permanently present in museums around the world, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, MoMA in New York and Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Avarte was established as a continuation of the family company Haimi. In 1980, Haimi employees acquired the company for themselves and changed the company name to Avarte. Haimi was a Finnish furniture manufacturer founded in 1943 that was especially known as the producer of Yrjö Kukkapuro designs. Avarte continued to manufacture furniture until 2013, when the company ha been ceased. In addition to Yrjö Kukkapuro’s designs, Avarte also produced furniture designed by Samula Naamanka, Mikko Paakkanen and Simo Heikkilä. This set is in original very good vintage condition, has a natural patina. The seat is 45 cm high.