Alvar Aalto A808 floorlamp Valaistustyö Ky Finland 1955

Super rare early 70s production of the A808 floor lamp designed by Alvar Aalto an manufactured by Valaistustyö Ky, Finland 1955. In completely original condition with unpolished brass which shows a unique characteristic patina. An original finish which is mostly polished off. Cam from a private home in Italy where also 3 A335 pendants were hanging. The A808 features a hand-turned shade made of lacquered metal strips. These strips create a beautiful bowl shape that diffuses light evenly to prevent glare. The lamp’s slender neck has a polished brass collar, providing a contrast with the black leather finish on the stand, which is hand-sewn in Finland. Alvar Aalto designed this light in 1955 for the National Pensions Institute in Helsinki.

Literature; Alvar Aalto Teokset 1918-1967 Leonardo Mosso, page 98 – 170

Recognised today as one of the great masters of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto (1898 –1976) was born in Kuortane, Finland. During a long and prolific career, Aalto designed buildings for almost all key public institutions, as well as standardised housing and private homes. One of the co-founders of Artek, Aalto left a legacy with lasting resonance. Together with his wife Aino Aalto, he began designing furnishings as a natural extension of their architectural thinking and his first modern furniture design was created in 1929 for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, Finland.

Artek was set up in 1935 to market and sell Alvar and Aino Aalto’s furniture, lighting and textiles, particularly on international markets. Through his innovations in form and line, Alvar Aalto’s name has also become important in the history of design. In fact, Aalto first achieved fame in Continental Europe as a furniture designer, and only later as an architect. His contribution to furniture design was among his foremost achievements in its own right.

This lamp is checked in our own atelier, cleaned and is suitable for use in the USA. For US usage we could change the plug, or you can get a converter if needed for a floor or table lamp with transformer in it.