To commemorate the 80th anniversary of its classic Stool 60, Finnish brand Artek have asked a selection of designers to give the design a contemporary makeover. 

Artek have worked with a series of designers to give the simple and stackable Stool 60 a contemporary update

The iconic children’s stool designed by Alvar Aalto was originally released in 1933 and quickly became a 20th century design classic. The updated stools, to be released in January 2013, include new interpretations by German designer Mike Meir© and Japanese designer Nao Tamura.

Meir©, who designed the Artek booth at this year’s Salone del Mobile, has updated the stools with a carefully chosen selection of bright colorways. Artek have created a short video that documents the making of Meir©’s design below.

Resembling cut logs, the seats of Tamura’s stools feature screen prints taken from the cross section of a tree. Named ‘Rings’, each stool illustrates the rings of a tree and represents the passage of time. Each stool is slightly different as no tree is exactly the same.

In addition, Artek will also release the stool with a range of lacquered tops in orange, green, yellow, black and white.

For more information read about Stool 60 on Designer Pages or find about more about Artek on Designer Pages. Or visit www.artek.fi

About the Manufacturer: Artek is one of the most innovative contributors to modern design, building on the heritage of Alvar Aalto. Functionality and timeless aesthetics are the essential elements in the creation of products that bear the Artek name. Artek's comprehensive furniture system is based on the original idea of standards and systems, which has its origin from Alvar Aalto's L-system. The standard and system thinking makes the furniture range versatile and allows it to be customized for individual projects. Artek's furniture can be found in various types of spaces; from public spaces to homes, museums to schools and hotels to offices.