Featured Designer: Alvar Aalto
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Alvar Aalto, born in 1898 in Kurotane, Finland, is his country's most famous architect and designer and is counted among the fathers of Modernism in the Nordic countries. He graduated from the Helsinki Institute of Technology in 1921 and in 1923 opened his own architectural firm. Shortly thereafter, he married his colleague Aino (nee Marsio), who joined his firm and began collaborating with him on commissions. Aalto began to draw worldwide attention for his buildings in the late 1920s and cemented his reputation with his Finnish Pavillions for the World's Fairs of 1937 and 1939. Among his many prizes and awards are the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects (1957) and the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects (1963). Aalto died in 1976.
Although most famous for his buildings, Aalto was also noted for his designs. In order to keep up with consumer demand, he and his wife opened a store, Artek, to sell furniture and lighting they designed. His most enduring piece was the eponymous Aalto Vase, unveiled to instant acclaim at the 1937 World's Fair. The vase, with its warm, enchanting curves, is an iconic piece for Aalto and the epitome of Modernist design.
Designs by Alvar Aalto
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