Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) is a household name in modern architecture and design, a revolutionary Finnish architect who also excelled as a furniture and interior designer. Aalto was renowned for his ability to always create a balance between architecture and space, technology and humanity, and he designed everything from the building itself to each door handle – no detail was too small. He also considered furniture an extension of architecture. His motto was that a good object should be a part of the everyday, an idea that constantly permeated his work.

Already in the 1930s Alvar Aalto's furniture was on display at an exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His most famous work is the Savoy vase, perhaps more familiar as the Aalto vase, which was exhibited at a World's Fair in Paris. Nowadays the vase is one of the most beloved glass items of all time. The soft lines and asymmetric shape of the vase have become a characteristic feature, recognisable in Aalto's architecture and glass design.

Through his life, Alvar Aalto designed and created many a timeless object. By his side was his wife, Aino Aalto (1894–1949), who was also an architect and a designer. They worked closely together and Aino was often profoundly involved in Aivar's work. Quick to assume modern ways of working from Central Europe, the couple began using the then-new bentwood technique early on. Together with Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, the couple founded the successful furniture company Artek; many items they designed remain in production.