Internationally renowned as one of the major achievements of modern architecture, the work of Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was deeply rooted in the culture and the landscape of his native Finland. A Grand Duchy of Russia until the revolution of 1917, the newly independent state promoted architecture as a means of establishing its identity as a social democracy, and in Aalto found an architect with the ambition and talents to meet the challenge. Throughout a long and fertile career his work embraced almost all the key public institutions - town halls, libraries, theatres, churches, universities and government departments - as well as social housing and private dwellings. He brought to buildings of every type and scale a profound concern for the physical and psychological needs of their individual users, as well as sensitivity to natural sites and materials and to the experimental qualities of architecture. This monograph situates Alvar Aalto in the context of both international modernism and Finnish culture. It explores the key inspirations upon which the architect drew throughout his career, including the Finnish landscape and vernacular traditions, Italian domestic architecture and Greek site planning, as well as the work of architects such as Gunar Asplund and Le Corbusier. Included are investigations of key projects such as Paimio Sanatorium, the Villa Mairea, Saynatsalo Town Hall, Seinajoki Town Centre, Vuokkseniska Church, the Finlandia Concert Hall and the Congress Centre in Helsinki. The complete range of his work is examined in this text through a study of recurring themes - the dialogue between nature and culture, the reciprocity of the individual and the collective, building and place.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Funtastic book! If you are one those who don't like boring books, and you like books to show good photografs, this is the book you have to buy about this great architect that ALVAR AALTO was. This book is one of my favourites and believe, i have plenty of book is my room. Amazing book and amazing photografs!
Coffee-table book + Undoubtedly this is a book of fine photographs and drawings. And for many architects and students that is more than enough. They want to be inspired, and to get a feeling for the material qualities of architecture. They indeed need few words. But Weston's book makes a claim to be more than that. It claims to be a historical monograph. But we get little sense of the strangeness, the Otherness, of Finnish culture. Aalto could more or less be designing anywhere. Reference to Finland is merely stereo-typical... more info
So beautiful as Alvar Aalto's architecture I love Alvar Aalto's architecture and i think this is book contains so beautiful photografs as his architecture is. Richard Weston on the best.
great book I would just like to say that this is one of the best architecture books i've seen up to date
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