He graduated with honors from helsinki polytechnic in 1921 after which he opened his own practice. A small group of architects still work there today maintaining aaltos built legacy, which includes nearly 200 major projects. An avid drawer, the young alvar chose to study architecture at the helsinki university of technology now part of the aalto university, graduating with distinction in 1921. Alvar aaltos viipuri library in vyborg, russia, built between 1927 and 1935, has recently been restored and the committee responsible for the restoration work has been awarded the world monuments. Alvar aalto 18981976, finlands leading modern architect, is known for his design rather than for statements or writings. Architecture, modernity and geopolitics p elkonen 2009 discusses aalto s in ternational networking and geopolitical narratives in. For aalto, architecture should be in harmony with the human being. Restoration of alvar aaltos viipuri library in russia.
The architecture of alvar aalto won wide respect but did not sit easily in the established histories of modern architecture. Rare shelf designed by alvar aalto for hedemora, modernity. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics is a comprehensive monograph on one of the most influential finnish architects. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics, is among the most recent and worthwhile additions to the hollis catalog because it fills a number of voids in aalto scholarship figure 1. Actually, it could not be considered a real theory, but a quite fuzzy concept due to its many miscellaneous interpretations. Alvar aalto, neue vahr high rise 1, 19581962, bremen. Alvar aalto was a finnish architect, designer, sculptor and painter. Pdf alvar aalto and the problem of architectural research. Initially practicing architecture in helsinki, aalto found his early commissions took him away from the city. The doctoral dissertation of marianna heikinheimo, master of science in architecture, master of fine arts, in the field of architectural history architecture and technology. Alvar aalto biography infos for sellers and buyers. As alvar aalto was given permission to experiment with his thoughts and styles there is a constant theme throughout the house of morphing technologies and a progression from the exterior to indoors. He is considered as one of the great leaders of planning, as well as a key advocate of midcentury modernism.
Born in 1898, disappeared in 1976, alvar aalto opened his architecture office with his wife aino, in the early 1920s. In 1952 aalto designed and had built a summer cottage, the socalled experimental house, for himself and his new wife in muuratsalo in central finland. Alvar aalto through the camera lens monfri 920 and sat 915. Aalto did not just build his architecture from a vacuum.
Iconic furniture and design from modernist architect alvar aalto, including his 901 tea trolley for finnish furniture brand artek. With the help of archival correspondence, published essays, and design. Aaltos furniture was exhibited in london in 1935, to great critical acclaim, and to cope with the consumer demand aalto, together with his wife aino, maire gullichsen and nilsgustav hahl founded the company artek that same year. Rare shelf designed by alvar aalto for hedemora, sweden, 1933. Read now pdf download alvar aalto architecture modernity and geopolitics read online.
His fiftyyear career included work in the fields of furniture, textiles, painting, sculpting, landscape, urban. Alvar aalto architecture, modernity and geopolitics, yale. Between humanism and materialism new york, 1998 eevaliisa pelkonen, geopolitics of architecture. Alvar aalto and charles and ray eames march 4, 2016 by robinette fowler 8540 5 in part two we continue looking at pioneers of modernist architecture. Perhaps no other great modern architect has been linked to a native country as closely as alvar aalto. Villa mairea vectored space and precedent study villa mairea. Hugo alvar henrik aalto design architectural design. Despite aaltos death in 1976, studio aalto remained as a working practice until the alvar aalto foundation took over the building in 1994.
Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Prepared by the alvar aalto archive in collaboration with the museum of finnish architecture, helsinki, and the alvar aalto museum, jyvaskyla. Mar 16, 2017 an avid drawer, the young alvar chose to study architecture at the helsinki university of technology now part of the aalto university, graduating with distinction in 1921. The mark of the hand, edited by harry charrington and vezio nava. He then worked as an exhibition designer, traveling throughout europe and thus acquiring a vast knowledge of contemporary trends in architecture and art. Villa mairea is a building that shows a transition from traditional to modern architecture. Architecture the modern movement in architecture since the war has produced only a few figures of the stature of alvar aalto. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings, though he never regarded himself as an artist, seeing painting and sculpture as branches of the tree whose trunk is architecture. His fiftyyear career included work in the fields of furniture, textiles, painting, sculpting, landscape, urban planning, glassware, and jewelry. Modernity specialises in the collection and sale of rare and highgrade furniture, ceramics, glass, lighting and jewellery by the most renowned scandinavian designers of the 20th century. Alvar aalto 18981976 embraced international modernism but modified it to fit the culture and climate of his home country, finland.
Alvar aalto s viipuri library in vyborg, russia, built between 1927 and 1935, has recently been restored and the committee responsible for the restoration work has been awarded the world monuments. A prolific worker, it is estimated that aalto designed approximately 500 buildings over the course of his 50 year career. Discontinuous glazing on all four sides at entrance level. This attempt is valid because he had asserted the importance of play in his design. By 1923 alvar had his own office and business and hired an assistant who became his wife in 1924. Critics have argued that the essence of finland flows, as if naturally, into his quasiorganic forms, ranging from such buildings as the baker house in cambridge, massachusetts, to iconic 20thcentury designs, including his savoy vase and bentplywood stacking stools. Mar 28, 2016 courtesy of alvar aalto museum the entrance to the festival hall sits at the center of the building, its fanned floor plan echoing the shape of the lecture halls into which it leads. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics new haven. Comprising a rectilinear copper office block, a curved brick auditorium, and a long canopy that binds them together, the house of culture represents the pinnacle of alvar aaltos work with red.
Alvar, was born in 1898 in the small town of kuortane, finland. But, in contrast to the geometry of the bauhaus, he favored a more human kind of modernism. His oeuvre is poorly depicted in 4 mostly small black and white photos and architectural drawings, such as plans, sections, elevations, hard line views, hand sketches, diagrams, and. In this exploration of the relationship between modernity, dwelling, and architecture, hilde heynen attempts to bridge the gap between the discourse of the modern movement and cultural theories of modernity. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
On one hand, she discusses architecture from the perspective of. Alvar aalto is a name synonymous with finnish architecture. In 1952 aalto married architect elissa makiniemi died 1994, who had been working as an assistant in his office. Alvar aalto foundation alvar aalto saatio alvar aalto. Alvar aalto modernist finlandia hall architectural digest. A deep organic rereading of alvar aaltos design approach. His work of the 1930s, exemplified by his vipurii library, clearly embodied the characteristics of the international style, and he never abandoned modernist principles. The architectural drawings of alvar aalto, 19171939, in eleven volumes. Article in the journal of the society of architectural historians 693. These features included functionalism, organicism, indeterminism and dynamism. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics by eevalisa pelkonen. One could criticise hunts repetition of themes in this series of publications. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Aalto proved early on in his career that architecture can be pragmatic, functional, and beautiful to the eyeall at the same time.
His work in architecture and interior design reflects a decadeslong effort to balance modern technology with nature and craft traditions. Alvar aalto and the problem of architectural research. Breakthrough of modernism in finland visit alvar aalto. Aaltos strong sense of place was apparent in one of his first.
He studied architecture at the technical institute of helsinki and graduated in 1921. He held the position of professor of architecture at mit 1946 to 1948, and was president of the academy of finland 196368. Nov 24, 2019 iconic furniture and design from modernist architect alvar aalto, including his 901 tea trolley for finnish furniture brand artek. Alvar aaltos regionallyspecific modern architecture omrania. The idea of the primary stage in alvar aaltos drawings. As architect alvar aalto 18981976 believed in the social and theoretical reforms inspired by the modernism of the early 20 th century.
Toward a human modernism new york, 1999 peter reed, ed. Bridges the gap between the history and theory of twentiethcentury architecture and cultural theories of modernity. This film analyses aaltos uniquely successful resolution of the demands and possibilities created by new technology and construction materials with the need to make his buildings. Despite this quote by alvar aalto being almost 80 years old, the problem of architectural research has not yet been. Dec 22, 2018 alvar aaltos paimio chair 1932 was designed to ease the breathing difficulties of patients, yet today it is sold simply as a beautiful, modern chair. Alvar aalto architecture, modernity and geopolitics, yale university press, new haven and london, 2009, p. This film analyses aalto s uniquely successful resolution of the demands and possibilities created by new technology and construction materials with the need to make his buildings. Alvar aaltos paimio chair 1932 was designed to ease the breathing difficulties of patients, yet today it is sold simply as a beautiful, modern chair. Two critical strategies sought to resolve this problem. This period saw the rise of a new era of architecture and furniture design. Apr 18, 2016 as architect alvar aalto 18981976 believed in the social and theoretical reforms inspired by the modernism of the early 20 th century. The purpose of this research is to rethink alvar aaltos architecture on the basis of the aesthetic concept of play.
An intellectual biography that reconsiders the influence of aaltos finnish origins and explores geography as a dominant theme in the history of modern. Alvar aalto was born in kuortane, finland in 1898, the son of a surveyor. Mia hipeli, plans for helsinki city center by alvar aalto paper presented at the international conference on the research of modern architecture universal versus individual, jyvaskyla, finland, 30 august 1 september, 2002. Its spirelike center mass encloses a 1,700seat concert hall. Pdf download alvar aalto architecture modernity and.
Alvar aaltos paimio sanatorium discusses the relationship between architecture and technology in paimio sanatorium 19281933, designed by the renowned finnish master architect, alvar aalto. Aalto cooperated with erik bryggman, one of the earliest representatives of finnish functionalist architecture, who had founded an office in turku in early 1920s. Nature and the natural world seemed to have no place in this formal, functional landscape. Architecture, modernity, and geopolitics first edition by eevaliisa pelkonen isbn. Mar 14, 2016 comprising a rectilinear copper office block, a curved brick auditorium, and a long canopy that binds them together, the house of culture represents the pinnacle of alvar aaltos work with red. Nevertheless, his design is inextricably linked with the spirit of his native land. From a young age alvar had a passion for drawing and proceeded to study architecture in 1916 at the only school in finland that taught architecture. May 29, 2017 alvar aalto, neue vahr high rise 1, 19581962, bremen, germany stay safe and healthy. Mar 04, 2016 pioneers of modernist architecture, part two. Hugo alvar henrik aalto free download as powerpoint presentation. Alvar aalto and his milieus, 19201960 book manuscript. Alvar aalto was born on february 3, 1898, in kuortane, finland russian empire at that time. Architecture, modernity and geopolitics p elkonen 2009 discusses aaltos in ternational networking and geopolitical narratives in.
Courtesy of alvar aalto museum the entrance to the festival hall sits at the center of the building, its fanned floor plan echoing the shape of the lecture halls into which it leads. Had his major designs been executed in the great countries of europe, instead of in his native. Aalto s furniture was exhibited in london in 1935, to great critical acclaim, and to cope with the consumer demand aalto, together with his wife aino, maire gullichsen and nilsgustav hahl founded the company artek that same year. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. Finnish designer and architect alvar aalto, however, together with his wife aino, advanced the notion that human emotion and natural forms could be used as a source of organic architecture and design while also remaining rationally and structurally modern. May 11, 2017 alvar aalto 18981976 embraced international modernism but modified it to fit the culture and climate of his home country, finland. He taught after the war at the prestigious mit the massachusetts institute of technology in the united states, and received almost every possible academic distinction. Alvar aalto studied architecture under armas lindgren at the helsinki technical institute from 1916 to 1921. Aalto glassware aino as well as alvar is manufactured by iittala.