ARTEK

153B Bench wood / Artek + Marimekko, 90th anniversary limited edition

Why choose the 153B Bench - Artek + Marimekko limited edition?

• A limited edition celebrating 90 years of visionary Finnish design
• A unique alliance between Artek's curved Wood and one of Marimekko's emblematic motifs
• A versatile piece of furniture: bench or Coffee table
• A historic piece by Alvar Aalto, handcrafted in Finland

An iconic Bench featuring Maija Isola's Kivet motif

To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Artek joins forces with Marimekko in an exceptional collaboration that brings together two founding visions of Finnish design. The 153B Bench, designed in 1945 by Alvar Aalto, is here adorned with the famous Kivet motif, conceived in 1956 by textile designer Maija Isola. Inspired by the rough stones she removed from the ground around her studio, this hand-cut motif evokes the strength of human gesture and the beauty of imperfect forms. A strong visual signature that has become one of Marimekko's most emblematic graphic symbols.

A functional design rooted in the history of curved wood

At the heart of the 153B Bench's silhouette lies one of the founding gestures of modern design: the L-shaped Base, legs invented by Alvar Aalto in 1932. The result of a patented process developed with cabinetmaker Otto Korhonen, it bends Solid wood at right angles by inserting veneer sheets into vertical incisions, offering flexibility and strength. This unprecedented structural advance enables the legs to be attached directly to the seat, without the need for a frame, simplifying manufacture while lightening the silhouette.

Handcrafted in Turku, Finland, from local FSC-certified wood, the 153B Bench combines glued-laminated birch legs, a birch veneered plywood seat and natural finishes. Between modernist rigor and artisanal warmth, this piece illustrates the excellence of ARTEK furniture.

A nimble piece of furniture designed for lively interiors

The 153B Bench is light, maneuverable and easy to move. Its well-balanced dimensions (72.5 x 40 x H 44.5 cm) make it ideal as a bench around a dining table, in a hallway, as a graphic end-of-bed or as a discreet, elegant coffee table in a living room. Robust, functional and durable, it accompanies demanding interiors with quiet ease.

A graphic signature at the heart of the decor

With its large, irregularly contoured circles, the Kivet pattern introduces a powerful graphic rhythm into the purity of Natural wood. Its subtle contrast evokes the decorative arts of the '50s as much as contemporary wabi-sabi aesthetics. It marries with raw or soft materials - washed linen, glazed ceramics, thick wool - and fits perfectly into a Scandinavian, minimalist or neo-artisanal decor. It becomes the graphic element that makes sense.

This limited-edition 153B Bench embodies the meeting of two icons of Finnish design, united by their attachment to simple beauty, everyday use and roots in Nature. It is a work of use with a high heritage value, designed to last, to live, and to be passed on.

In detail:

• Variation : Kivet / Birch pattern

• Brand : ARTEK

• Designer : Alvar Aalto - Maija Isola

• Type : Bench

• Colour : Natural birch - Seat : Kivet pattern by Marimekko

• Material : Legs: Solid birch glued laminate, clear lacquer - Seat: plywood, birch veneer - Local FSC-certified wood.

• Dimensions : 72.5 x 40 cm x H 44.5 cm
• Weight : 12.1 lb
• Characteristics : 90th anniversary limited edition: collaboration with Marimekko (seat decorated with the emblematic Kivet motif designed in 1956 by Maija Isola for Marimekko) - Bench / Coffee table - Design icon - Model designed in 1945 by Alvar Aalto (1898 - 1976) - Original piece signed Artek (will always retain its value) - Handcrafted in Finland from local FSC-certified wood - Quality, durable and sturdy furniture.
• Country of Manufacture : Finland