Posted: June 27th, 2015

Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto

Biography

This paper will focus on an architect of the 20th century, Alvar Aalto. Born Hugo Alvar Hendrick Aalto in Kuortane, western Finland in 1898 February 3rdat a time when Finland was still a part of Russia. He is one of the most famous architects of his time more so in Finland. He brought major contributions to architecture and public buildings’ furniture. He was the first born of three children born to Selma Hackestedt who was from Sweden and a postmistress. (Schildt, 22) She passed on in 1902. His father was Johan Henrik Aalto who was a land surveyor. Henrik remarried after Selma’s death and in 1902 his family moved to Alajärvi then Jyväskylä which was located in the central parts of Finland. Alvar attended Jyväskylä Lyceum School where his best subject was drawing. He graduated in 1916 during the spring season. (Schildt, 28)

For the following few months of summer he accompanied his father as he went to survey land. In the same year Aalto joined the Helsinki University of Technology formerly a polytechnic where he studied architecture under the instruction of Armas Lingren. While still in school Aalto worked for Carolus Lindberg. It was while working for Carolus that he worked on the “Tivoli” design for a national fair that took place in 1920. He graduated in 1921 with marvelous grades. After graduating Aalto travelled around Europe as an exhibition designer hence developing a wide array of knowledge of art and architecture in the contemporary world. (Aalto, 83).

Two years after graduating, in September Aalto set up his very own studio in Jyväskylä. It is here that he designed more buildings than he ever would in any other city. He employed an assistant named Aino Marsio in 1924 that he later married and had two children with. They were Johanna who was born in 1925 and Hamilkar born in 1938. Aino was an architect herself. They travelled to Italy for their honeymoon. They designed and worked on many buildings together. Aalto moved his studio to Turku in 1927 where he would collaborate with Erik Bryggman who was an architect himself. He however moved back to Helsinki in 1933. Aino died in 1949 January 13th due to cancer. Aalto remarried Elissa Makiniemi in 1952 4th October whom he was with until his death. She as well was an architect.

Aalto had a number of achievements including being a member of “Congrès International d’Architecture Moderne” (CIAM). These were architectural conferences held between 1928 and 1959. He was head of the Finnish Architects association from 1943 to 1958. Aalto was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also served during the civil war after the revolution in Russia following Finland’s independence. Aalto was still doing his architectural work when he died in 1976 May 11th in Helsinki.( Schildt, 117).

Aalto is documented to be one of the greatest architects of his time. He designed many famous buildings and derived inspiration from different places. Although he is said to be a contemporary and modern architect, his designs depict a sort of traditional feel to them as they are intricate with a carefully crafted edge. The traditionalism in his work can be seen to be from the Finnish environment and culture. His works were influenced by a wide array of concerns and not just the industrialization of modern times. He mixes the obvious needs of a modern society that has undergone a sort of revolution with the rich cultures of Scandinavian architecture with a soft blend of Finnish environs. This is evidenced by Aaltos experience in Italy during his honeymoon with Aino whereby the Mediterranean culture greatly influenced Aalto’s works. The “architettura mirwire” for example of the northern parts of Italy influenced his style and indeed became his style with proportions that were harmonized and used in stucco or sometimes wood. (Fleig, 37).

The earlier designs of Aalto were inspired by the neoclassical era however he later adapted the modern movements’ symbolism in his forms and most of his plans. This was more mature and expressional and was used in libraries, churches among others. Aalto’s works were also seen to avoid too much romance and the monotony of neoclassism and instead remade the modernized architecture in Europe at the time and recreated them into a creative Finnish architecture. (Aalto, 193). He mixed ideas in his work from different experiences he had undergone which is what set him apart from most of his peers. His works and designs stood out mostly due to their relation with form and material. Aalto was able to design works that related to their users and thereby gave architecture a new face in a time where there wasn’t clarity between the modernism and post-modernism. His designs were exclusive and admirable for that. Another unique thing about Aalto’s works was that they went beyond the exterior of the buildings alone but they paid close detail to the interior as well including the furniture, glassware, and furnishings. It was approach of his that went beyond normal designing of buildings but was more of art that gave him recognition. (Fleig, 55)

To depict this, in one of his quotes he says “there is an ulterior motive, too, in architecture, which is always peeping out from around the corner, the idea of creating paradise. It is the only purpose of our buildings. If we do not carry this idea with us the whole time all our buildings would be simpler, more trivial and life would become- well, would life amount to anything at all? Every building, every work of architecture, is a symbol which has the aspiration to show that we want to build a paradise on earth for ordinary mortals.”- Alvar Aalto. (Fleig, 121)

Apart from buildings Aalto also designed glassware among them vases. He is credited for the famous Aalto vase. The vase was unveiled in 1937 during the Paris world’s fair. It is iconic due to its mystical form. Most people claimed it was based on Aalto’s sketches which was named “The Eskimo Woman’s Leather Breeches” yet other people that its shape was roused by the contours of the Finnish panorama. Despite the lack of clarity concerning its origin, the absolute fact was its placid beauty. The Aalto vase is still available even today as iittala’s artisans continue to produce it. Aalto’s designs were also inspired by Pablo Picasso and Cuban counterpart Georges Braque. His unique style was also influenced by his love for painting. It was this passion that led to the extraordinary styles cubism and collage. (Schildt, 213)

Some of the buildings that Aalto designed include his early works which followed the previous Nordic classicism approach. An example is a summer villa for the chief constable at Jyväskylä, a farmhouse in Tarvaala, a workers corps building also in Jyväskylä. Later on when Aalto changed his architectural designs he designed the memorable Vipuri library. In this design a change in Aaltos thinking is seen from the initial drafts to the completion of the design. Aalto reported that the design of the Vipuri library was inspired by mountain scenery and cliffs viewed at different times of the day. The Vipuri library was built between 1927 and 1935.it was however partially bombed during the world war. (Ray, 73).

Aalto as well designed the Turun Sanomat Building and later on the Paimio sanatorium. It was after the construction of this two that Aalto received recognition worldwide. He became acclaimed in the United States and was even documented in an influential book by Sigfried Giedion on modern architecture. Later on Aalto designed the villa Mairea in 1939 for a young couple who inspired both Aalto and Aino to be daring in their design. The building includes a swimming pool shaped as a kidney as well as an inner garden bordered by a U shape. Also next to the swimming pool is an ancient like sauna which touches on previous Japanese designs. Aalto said that the design of the Mairea villa was experimental. (Aalto, 213).

During his time as a professor in architecture at Massachusetts institute of technology, Aalto designed Baker house which a dormitory for the students. The baker house work was finished in 1948. It was the first building that Aalto designed and used red brick on. It was initially a symbol of the Ivy League long lived tradition. (Loftin, 14).This however was another source of inspiration for Aalto who continued using the design on a number of his designs when he returned to Finland particularly in the Helsinki University of Technology. Some of the designs that adapted the red brick design include the Saynatsalo town hall built in 1952, the Helsinki pensions institute constructed in 1954 and the Helsinki house of culture constructed in 1958. Apart from these buildings, Aalto also designed and constructed his summer house using the same design. This was in 1957 and Aalto claimed that it was an experimental house. It was located in Muuratsalo. (Ray, 119).

Other famous works by Alvar Aalto when he was more mature in his designs include the national museum, the railway station and the town plan for a void in Helsinki. For the town plan Aalto advised marble buildings which would be the houses for cultural institutions which included a concert hall, Finnish academy headquarters among others. Of all the schemes he proposed for the town plan only two fragments were adapted. (Loftin, 66). Aalto was also responsible for designs such as the bell tower at kauhajarvi church, municipal hospital in Finland, Essen opera house in Germany, mount angel abbey library in the united states and the Nordic house in Iceland just to mention a few. (Ray, 289).

Other works like furniture and glassware by Aalto include the Paimo chair, armchair 406, the three legged stool and armchair 404. Lamps include the floor lamp A805 and floor lamp A810 and of course of the vases were the famous Aalto vases.

Aalto’s wife, Elissa continued with Aalto’s works in his office after his passing in 1976 and when she too passed on the office continued operation as the Alvar Aalto Academy. Its main role was to offer advice on rebuilding and refurbishing of Aaltos works and reorganizing material in the archive. (Ray, 180).

Conclusion

Aalto is clearly the most renowned architect of his times with a strong Scandinavian influence. His intricate designs mainly influenced by his experiences of his surroundings, life ordeals and people he came across. They were also influenced by different cultures that he encountered as he went through life. It was his ability to inculcate his experiences into his designs as a body of art that made him stand out. He was an artist of some sort. He was also an architect who was willing to learn and borrow ideas from other even of different forms of art. This is depicted by the influence of Pablo Picasso in his works among others. His love for art must have been his biggest drive which led to his international acclaim

 

 

Works cited

Schildt, Göran. Alvar Aalto: The Complete Catalogue of Architecture, Design, and Art.            New York: Rizzoli, 1994. Print.

Loftin, Laurence K. An Analysis of the Work of Finnish Architect Alvar Aalto. Lewiston [N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2005. Print.

Ray, Nicholas. Alvar Aalto. New Haven [Conn.: Yale University Press, 2005. Print.

Fleig, Karl, and Alvar Aalto. Alvar Aalto. Barcelona: G. Gili, 1991. Print.

Aalto, Alvar, Peter Reed, and Kenneth Frampton. Alvar Aalto – between Humanism and Materialism: [published on the Occasion of the Exhibition Alvar Aalto: between Humanism and Materialism … February 19 – May 19, 1998]. New York, 1998. Print.

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