Alvar Aalto: A Master of Timeless Design

Alvar Aalto (b. 1898, d. 1976) was a famous Finnish architect as well as furniture designer. Despite his attempts, he never found success in his career in Helsinki after his graduation in 1921. He moved and founded an office in a small town. He later died in Helsinki in 1976.

His wife, Aino, was originally hired as his assistant. She was a young woman who designed glass and furniture. Later, they had two children. In the 1920's and 1930's, Alvar Aalto designed several well know landmarks in Finland. In the late 1940's, he taught at MIT. Some of his most well known furniture (finska möbler) includes a variety of table designs and lamps.

Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen as well as Nils-Gustav Hahl established a business to craft furnishings. Alvar came up with the design for many timeless Aalto furnishings which include tables, desks, occasional chairs, loungers, foot stools, arm chairs and kid's furnishings. Alvar styled his first light fixture when he was a pupil at the college of technology in Helsinki where he was awarded first place in a lighting contest in 1920. The surname Aalto is yet greatly recognized in the realm of light fixtures as he styled many various timeless lamp designs which are regarded as contemporary these days as when they were first introduced.

Alvar Aalto was a very talented designer. He designed his first furniture when he was still in college. He opened his office and was able to bag an order to design furniture for six churches of Finland. The widely known Paimio Sanatorium including its furniture and lamps were designed by him. He often designed "Aalto tables" to furnish many of his structures.

Alvar styled his first furnishings even prior to graduation. His innovative structural design office received a large contract for the design creation of furnishings for 6 houses of worship in Finland. In 1929 he styled the well-known Paimio Sanatorium in additional to all the furnishings and light fixtures for it. He styled tailor-made "Aalto tables" as well as additional furnishings for every one of his structures.

Alvar Aalto called his style "Organic Functionalism" and as the Father of Modernism in the nordic countries has left a significant mark on the worlds of furniture design and architecture. He and his wife also had some famous glassware designs such as the aptly named Aalto Vase. Perhaps his final honor was the creation of the Alvar Aalto Medal by the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Finnish Association of Architects which is awarded for significant contributions to creative architecture.

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Alvar Aalto's stamp on the world was not limited to furniture (möbler) design; he is remembered as much for his lamp models that have endured for over 80 years as for his classic tables, chairs, and children's furniture. Before he even graduated, Alvar Aalto began designing his first furniture. Once in his new architecture office, he received a huge order to design furniture for six churches in Finland. He also designed each piece of furniture in the structure, as well as an aalto lamp. For each structure he designed, he also designed custom tables and other furniture for the interior design (inredning).