Alvar AAlto

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) left a unique mark in the modernist panorama . Influenced both by the landscape and by the political independence of Finland, his native country, he designed warm, sinuous buildings, attentive to man and completely at odds with the glossy, mechanical and geometric works that characterised much of European architectural practice of the period.

Whether it was a church, a villa, a sauna or a public library, the organic structures Aalto's designs tended to replace plaster and steel with wood and brick, often including curved, wave-like forms , which also appeared in the chairs, glassware, and lamps he designed. Always faithful to detail, Aalto insisted on the humanity of his work , arguing that “modern architecture does not mean using new and immature materials, but rather working with existing materials in a more human way.”

Many of the public buildings designed by Aalto, such as the Säynätsalo Town Hall , the auditorium of Otaniemi Polytechnic , the National Social Security Institute and the Helsinki House of Culture can be considered not only physical but also psychological milestones in the reconstruction of Finland after the devastation of war.