An individual modernism subservient to man

Cover image: Alvar Aalto 1898-1976 photo Antti Bengts © Alvar Aalto Foundation

Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, known as Alvar Aalto , is one of the greatest masters of modern architecture of the 20th century. Born in Koutarne, a small Finnish village , in 1898, he demonstrated a particular interest in architectural structure and a natural aptitude for drawing from an early age. This artistic inclination led him to graduate with honors from the Helsinki Polytechnic , becoming one of Armas Lindgren's protégés. The early 1920s also marked the beginning of Aalto's first work experiences, a time when Finland was building its new identity as a free nation. Jyväskylä , an enchanting village and Aalto's childhood home, was where he established his first studio. His early works dealt with both architecture and design , demonstrating an initial desire to emulate the characteristics of Art Nouveau and Nordic Classicism . In 1925, he married a former university classmate, Aino Marsio, also an architect. This romantic and professional partnership led to numerous trips to Europe, especially to Italy, where Aalto was fascinated by the Mediterranean aesthetic, some of which he would incorporate into his urban planning vision . Throughout the 20th century, Aalto's work was an architectural reflection of the aesthetic evolution and taste of specific decades, evolving in perfect harmony with the passing of the years. Alvar Aalto thus moved from initial classicism to rational modernism , always managing to leave his own personal stylistic imprint and without falling into an anachronistic veneration of the past which, according to the architect, risked losing sight of the true final objective: the functionality of the building . Although Aalto had also joined the Modern Movement , although younger than Le Corbusier and Mies Van Der Rohe , he never fully applied its rigid demands, preferring a more inclusive approach, focused on the relationship between construction , man and nature . This translated into the creation of absolutely modern works, but distinguished from those of his modernist companions by a less cold sense and greater individuality. His furniture, in which a morbid use of wood stands out, becomes a symbol of the rejection of metal, cold and unsuitable for the skin or the curvatures of a living body. Buildings with asymmetrical surfaces and wavy lines , also in homage to his name, "aalto", which in Finnish means "wave", are a constant in his production. The result is welcoming spaces, punctuated by a skillful use of lighting combined with a clear definition of forms; harmony both inside and out is thus ensured. For this reason, the structures created by Aalto's hands and mind exude Gesamtkunstwerk , the desire to achieve the total work of art , attentive to every component, from materials to decoration to practicality. The object is a product that offers infinite creative possibilities; it is up to man to complete it through his own personal, individual values. In the words of Kenneth Frampton, "Aalto belonged to the existentialist generation of Northern European intellectuals according to whom, to use Martin Heidegger's verbs, 'building, being, dwelling, and cultivating' were considered integral parts of the same socio-organic response to the conditions of existence."