Serving Cart - A Scandinavian Design Classic

The " 901 " serving cart was designed by Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, who, together with his wife Aino Aalto, drew inspiration from British tea culture. The rolling cart is equipped with two wheels and a frame made of bent plywood, which was manufactured using the bending process. As early as the 1920s, Aalto experimented with wood, attempting to shape it into curved forms and ultimately discovering a method to bend thin, laminated layers of wood under heat.

Organically Curved Frame

The patented frame of the rolling cart, presented at the 1936 Milan Triennale, is reflected in a similar, inverted form in Alvar Aalto’s world-famous Paimio Chair 41. His penchant for curved, organic forms runs like a common thread through his products, giving them his unmistakable signature style.

Can be used as a side table or tea cart

The “ 901 ” serving cart can be used in the traditional way as a tea cart, but it also makes an excellent side table when decorated with a lamp, books, or a bouquet of flowers. Objects of all kinds can be arranged as desired on the two levels of the linoleum tops. Hella Jongerius’ reinterpretation of the “ 901 ” serving cart is a collaboration between the designer and Artek , in which they jointly rework Alvar Aalto’s classics and archived designs.