Olavi Hanninen (1920-1992) - Pair of chairs in stained elm - King model

Attributed to Olavi Hanninen (1920-1992) or Aranjou. Finnish Design. Pair of chairs in stained elm. Model King. Brutalist work with an openwork backrest from the 1960s. Height: 88cm. Width: 41cm. Depth: 43cm. Seat height: 45cm. Seat depth: 32cm. Very good condition, slight scratches on the seat. *Olavi Hänninen (1920-1992) was a Finnish interior architect and designer. He is a major figure in post-war Scandinavian design, globally recognised for his innovative approach to modernist furniture and his pioneering role in the brutalist movement. Born in Lapinlahti, Finland, Olavi Tapio Hänninen studied at the Central School of Industrial Arts in Helsinki. In the early 1950s, he honed his skills at the prestigious firm of architect Viljo Revell. It was there that he designed part of the interior fittings for the iconic Palace Hotel in Helsinki (completed in 1952), alongside notable figures like Antti Nurmesniemi. For the café of this hotel, he notably imagined a bold chair combining plastic and a metal structure. Hänninen's work gained international recognition in 1957 when he won the gold medal at the XI Triennale in Milan for the scenographic design of the Finnish pavilion. He opened his own design office in 1961. His style is distinguished by a perfect blend of functionalist rigor, comfort, and the use of local natural materials, primarily birch, beech, and especially solid elm. It was during this period that he created his most iconic wooden pieces, such as the Boomerang sofa, the Mosi chair (1958), or his famous series of chairs and tables in a primitive brutalist style published by Mikko Nupponen. Hänninen's work is not limited to home furniture. As a total designer, his field of action proved to be extremely vast: Public transport: In the 1970s, he designed the new Valmet Nr I tram cars for the city of Helsinki.