Gunnar Asplund
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a pair of Swedish Grace chairs, Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden ca 1924, from the cinema "Skandia-Teatern" Stockholm.
Black lacquered wooden base with curved front legs and armrests, secondary upholstery with black artificial leather. Height 92 cm, seat height ca 45 cm
The drawing (now in the archives of ArkDes, Stockholm) for these chairs by Gunnar Asplund is dated Jan 4th 1923, revised on Jan 19th.
In the Nordiska Kompaniet's archives, where the chairs were manufactured, the drawing is dated Oct 7th 1924 and the model is called "Biograffåtölj fristående" (Cinema Easy Chair- freestanding).
Later upholstery, later paint, wear.
Provenance
The cinema "Skandia-Teatern" Stockholm.
Literature
Holmdahl, Lind, Ödeen (ed), "Gunnar Asplund Arkitekt 1885-1940", Tidskriften Byggmästaren, Stockholm 1943, se pp 48-49.
Skandia-Teatern on Drottninggatan 83, in Warondellska huset, was opened on the 13th September 1923.
In the literature, the cinema designed by Gunnar Asplund has been mentioned in only positive terms. The cinema room is referred to as "pure poetry", "rich in radiant and beautiful details". The armchairs stood in the cinema room, in the lodges on the balcony.
Architect Gunnar Asplund's drawing for these cinema chairs is dated January 4th 1923, revised Jan. 19th (see enclosed drawing from Ark Des). In the Nordiska Kompaniet's archives the drawing for this model is probably the one dated October 7th 1924 and called what translates into "Freestanding Cinema easy chair".
More information
The drawing (now in the archives of ArkDes, Stockholm) for these chairs by Gunnar Asplund is dated Jan 4th 1923, revised on Jan 19th.
In the Nordiska Kompaniet's archives, where the chairs were manufactured, the drawing is dated Oct 7th 1924 and the model is called "Biograffåtölj fristående" (Cinema Easy Chair- freestanding).
Designer
Gunnar Asplund is considered one of the most significant and leading architects during the interwar period, both in Sweden and internationally. Asplund is seen as one of the foremost representatives of 1920s Nordic classicism, with the Skandia Theatre (1922) and the Stockholm Public Library (1928) as prominent examples. He was also one of the pioneers of functionalism, which he introduced in Sweden with the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930, where he was the chief architect.
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