Architect – Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. Aalto was born in 1898 in Kuortane, Finland. He died in Helsinki, Finland in 1976. He studied architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology. His style was initially considered that of Nordic Classicism leading to a more International Style and eventually modernist. His work can be qualified as “Gesamtkunstwerk” which means all encompassing stylewise. Great image of that at end of post.

His wife was Aino Marsio also an architect – they collaborated on many projects. She is considered a pioneer of Scandinavian design. Her contributions to his architecture have never been verified. She focused mainly on interior design and furniture. She designed the Savoy Vase in 1936.





Paimio Sanatorium
1933




Viipuri or Vyborg Library
1935




Villa Mairea
1939




Baker House
1946




Saynalsalo town Hall
1951




Maison Louis Carre Bazoches sur Goyonne France
1956




Finlandia Hall
1962




Town Hall Lapland
1965




Finlandia
1971




House on Behance




Of course all/most/many/some famous architects have a chair, or a table, or another design element that becomes famous. In this case it is the Savoy Vase designed with his wife in 1936 whose popularity endures to this day.

Savoy or Littala Vase
1936




I purchased this wine rack at a garage sale (lucky me). I’d venture to say it is in their style. What do you think? I know; It’s an original forged of their very hands and Finnish museums have been looking for it for years. It is quasi priceless and there it sits on the floor of my dining room.




Fabulous example of Gesamtkunstwerk
In the past I would have described this image as Art Nouveau but well it is also Gesamtkunstwerk.