Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
B
y the 1950s, Alvar pendence in 1917 and, by that they made it their home.
Aalto, the great the mid-1920s there was no They furnished their house
Finnish architect, shortage of architectural com- with Marcel Breuer chairs
Architect was one of the hand- missions in a newly indepen- imported from Germany and
dent country eager to define a gramophone for practis-
1898-1976 ful of people in Finland who
were considered so important a new identity. In Jyväskylä, ing the foxtrot. Already a
that, if they were late for a Aalto was one of a group of favourite with the Finnish
Finnair flight, the airline de- young artists and intellectuals media, Aalto styled himself
The most important Finnish longing to play their part in as a cosmopolitan intellectual
layed take-off until they were
architect of the 20th century, safely on board. More often Finland’s cultural renaissance. in interviews with proclama-
than not, Aalto did arrive They included a young archi- tions like: “Flying is the only
ALVAR AALTO (1898-1976) late and Finnair passengers tect Aino Marsio whom he civilised form of travel for the
married in 1924. modern man”.
was a central figure in grew accustomed to waiting
for him to board the aircraft.
international modernism. Aalto enjoyed this so much
Alvar Aalto 21
20
When designing the Paimio able than metal. Artek to manufacture the Dormitory at the Massachu-
Sanatorium, for instance, he wooden chairs and stools they sets Institute of Technology.
approached the project from When the Paimio Sanatorium had designed for the Pai-
the perspective of a patient was completed in 1933, the mio Sanatorium and Viipuri After Aino’s death in 1949,
and created a serene, but influential critic Siegfried Library. he married another architect,
cheering environment. No Giedion hailed it as a modern- Elissa Mäkiniemi. Firmly
detail escaped him: from ist masterpiece alongside Wal- established as a world-class
the canary yellow paint on ter Gropius’ Bauhaus Dessau architect, Aalto won a string
the stairs, the heating and a and Le Corbusier’s League of awards –including Gold
specially modified tap from of Nations project. Aalto was Medals from the Royal Insti-
which water poured noise- still only 35 years old. “When the Paimio
Sanatorium was
“His design was an
completed in 1933,
inspired homage
the influential critic to the forms, light,
Siegfried Giedion shadows of Fin-
hailed it as a mod- Villa Mairea
land’s forests. Walk-
ernist masterpiece Aalto did not win an ar- steel columns clad in rattan or ing through the
alongside Walter chitectural commission in birch. Pavillion was like a
Helsinki until 1937 when
Gropius’ Bauhaus magical forest stroll.
he and Aino were asked to In 1939, Aalto was asked to
Dessau and Le Cor- design the Savoy Restaurant design the Finnish Pavilion Even solipsistic
busier’s Leauge of in the city centre. The grace- at the New York World’s Frank Lloyd Wright
fully curvaceous 1937 Savoy Fair. Already acclaimed for
Nations project. Vase - inspired, or so said his Pavilion in the 1936-37 described it as a
Aalto was still only Aalto by “a young Eskimo Paris International Exposition, work of ‘genius’.“
35 years old. “ girl’s leather breeches” – is which had won him a 1938
still a best-seller today. Dur- exhibition at theMuseum of
Paimio Sanatorium ing this period, Aalto also Modern Art, New York, Aalto
designed an extraordinary upped the ante for the World’s
house for the industrialist Fair. Like Villa Mairea, his
lessly to avoid disturbing fel- Despite his prominence in and art collector Harry Gulli- design was an inspired hom-
low patients. international circles - where chesen and his wife Maire, in age to the forms, light and
he counted artists like Con- whose honour it was named shadows of Finland’s forests.
Aalto also designed all the stantin Brancusi and Fernand the Villa Mairea. They asked Walking through the Pavil-
sanatorium furniture in- Léger among his friends, as for a house which was both ion was like a magical forest
cluding the 1931-32 Paimio well as fellow architects such modern and Finnish. Aalto stroll. Even solipsistic Frank
Chair. Inspired by the tubular as Gropius, Breuer, László responded with an idiosyn- Lloyd Wright described it as a
steel Marcel Breuer chairs in Moholy-Nagy and Sven cratic, but exquisite composi- work of “genius”.
his own home, the Paimio Markelius – Aalto felt mar- tion of stripped logs and steel
Chair was devised to ease ginalised in Finland. He and posts, concrete beams and The World’s Fair launched
the breathing of tubercolosis Aino moved to Helsinki in grass rooves. The sauna was Aalto in the US, where he
patients in a combination of 1935 and built a new home an “homage to Hollywood” was awarded visiting profes-
moulded wood and plywood and studio in the suburb kidney-shaped pool and the sorships and architectural Finnish Pavilion at the
which, Aalto believed, would of Munkkiniemi. They also Paimio Sanatorium interior conceived as a replica commissions including the New York World’s Fair
be warmer and more comfort- founded a furniture company Chair 1930 of a Finnish forest with black 1946-49 Baker House Senior in 1939
1928 Starts work on the Viipuri Library, 1949 Aino dies after a long illness.
Turun Sanomat newspaper offices and the
Paimio Sanaotorium. 1952 Marries the architect Elissa Mäkini-
emi and builds a house for them in Muur-
1929 Attends his first Congrès Internationaux salto. Begins work on the Helsinki House
d’Architecture Moderne (CIAM) conference. of Culture.
He and Aino befriend Le Corbusier, Walter
Gropius, Marcel Breuer and the critic Sig- 1955 Designs the Church of Three Crosses
fried Giedion. at Vuokenninska, Finland.
1933 Moves office to Helsinki. His Paimio 1959 Starts working on the Helsinki City
moulded wood furniture is exhibited at Fort- Plan and Essen Opera House, which will
num & Mason department store in London. eventually be completed after his death in
1988.
1934 Builds a new family home in a Helsinki
suburb and founds the Artek furniture com- 1969 Designs the Iran Museum of Modern
pany with Aino and Maire Gullichsen. Art in Shiraz.
24 Alvar Aalto