Alvar Aalto, the renowned Finnish architect, designer, sculptor, and painter, is widely recognized as a leading figure in planning and a prominent advocate of midcentury modernism. With a career spanning five decades, Aalto made significant contributions in various fields including furniture, textiles, painting, sculpting, landscape, urban planning, glassware, and jewelry. As Finland’s most notable architect, he revolutionized the industry with his humanistic approach to modernism, blending organic resources, self-expression, and innovative progress. Aalto’s vision extended beyond building design, as he meticulously considered interior elements such as light fixtures, glassware schemes, and furniture. By emphasizing performance and the relationship between man and nature, he transformed public structures and challenged the machine-age-dominated detachment and monotony of the international style prevalent during the midcentury. In Scandinavian communities, Aalto is revered as the “Father of Modernism.”
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto
- Died At Age: 78
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Aino Aalto, Elissa Aalto
- Father: Johan Henrik Aalto
- Mother: Selma Matilda Hackstedt
- Children: Johanna
- Sculptors
- Finnish Men
- Died on: May 11, 1976
- Place of death: Helsinki
- Founder/Co-Founder: Artek
- More Facts
- Education: 1921 – Helsinki University of Technology
- Awards:
- Alvar Aalto Medal – 1967
- Royal Gold Medal – 1957
- IA Gold Medal – 1963
Childhood & Early Life
Alvar Aalto was born Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto on February 3, 1898, in the small town of Kuortane, Finland. He was the first of three children born to Johan Henrik Aalto, a surveyor, and Selma (Selly) Mathilda Hackestedt. Unfortunately, his mother Selma passed away in 1903 when Alvar was just five years old. His father Johan remarried and moved the family to Jyvaskyla, where Aalto attended school and went on surveying trips with his father during the summer. He graduated from the Jyvaskyla Lyceum in 1916 and then moved to Helsinki to pursue his studies in architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology.
Career
Aalto began working as an apprentice while he was still a student. He collaborated with Finnish architect Armas Lingren and also designed buildings for the Tivoli region for the 1920 National Fair. In 1922-1923, he worked with A. Bjerke on the design of the Congress Hall for the 1923 Goteborg World Fair. He also designed structures for the Tampere Industrial Fair. In 1927, Aalto and his wife Aino Marsio moved to Turku after he won first place for the Southwestern Finland Agricultural Cooperative Building. He then designed the Paimio Sanatorium in 1932, which raised him to the status of master of heroic functionalism. Aalto founded his architectural firm, Artek, in 1933 and worked on numerous major international contracts over the next four decades. He also became the first furniture designer to apply the cantilever principle using wood in chair designs. In addition to his architectural work, Aalto’s company Artek also sold furniture and other imported products.
Major Works
One of Aalto’s major works was the Southwestern Finland Agricultural Cooperative Building, which earned him his first award and propelled his career. Another significant work was the Paimio Sanatorium, a former sanatorium for tuberculosis completed in 1932.
Awards & Achievements
Aalto received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects and was recognized by the United States for his services. In 1963, he was awarded the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects.
Personal Life & Legacy
Aalto married Aino in 1924, and they had two children together. Tragically, Aino passed away in 1949 from cancer. Aalto then married Elissa in 1952, and they remained married until his death in 1976. Aalto died on May 11, 1976, in Helsinki, Finland. His most recent structure, the Art Museum in Jyvaskyla, was named after him and is now known as the Alvar Aalto Museum.
Trivia
Frank Lloyd Wright described Aalto’s design at the New York World’s Fair, the Finnish Pavilion, as a “work of genius.” Aalto’s picture was also printed on the final series of the 50 Finnish mark bill.