Alvar Aalto biography
3 February 1898
May 11, 1976
Alvar Aalto, born Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, born in Kuortane (Finland) on 3 February 1898 and died in Helsinki the May 11, 1976, is a Finnish architect, designer and academic, known as one of the most important figures in20th-century architecture and remembered, along with other important figures like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier as one of the greatest masters of the modern movement.
He spent his childhood almost entirely between Alajarvi and Jyvaskyla, where he attended high school. In 1916 he moved to Helsinki where he attended the Politecnico (His Aalto), where as a teacher the architect Armas Lindgren, which exerts a strong influence on him.
In 1927 transfers its activities in Turku and in 1929 takes part in the second CIAM (International Congress of modern architecture) in Frankfurt, where he meets Sigfried Giedion and came into contact with several European artists.
In 1933 his furniture are exposed in Zurich and London and the following year he creates the company "Artek" for mass production of his furniture.
In 1938 the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City organizes an exhibition of his works, circulated soon after in different cities around the world.
From 1945 onwards begins to work simultaneously in America and Finland, and in 1947 he was commissioned to build the dormitories of the student House of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge. In the same year he was awarded an honorary degree by Princeton University.
In 1948 he won the competition to build the Finnish Institute for pensions in Helsinki, built between 1952 and 1956, for which Aalto experimented with the use of sound-absorbing materials and a system of irradiation heating.
Since the 1950s is beginning to attract some of the most prestigious international awards, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1957 and an honorary degree from Politecnico di Milano. In 1965 instead, having held a major exhibition in palazzo Strozzi in Florence, is finally recognized as among the best European artists of the century.
Translation authorized by the website: Biografieonline.it under Creative Commons License.
May 11, 1976
Alvar Aalto, born Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, born in Kuortane (Finland) on 3 February 1898 and died in Helsinki the May 11, 1976, is a Finnish architect, designer and academic, known as one of the most important figures in20th-century architecture and remembered, along with other important figures like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier as one of the greatest masters of the modern movement.
Life of Alvar Aalto
Born of a Finnish engineer, Henrik Aalto, specializing in geodesy and cartography, and of a Swedish postman, Selly (Selma) Matilda Alvar Aalto, the young man began his career in the studio of his father.He spent his childhood almost entirely between Alajarvi and Jyvaskyla, where he attended high school. In 1916 he moved to Helsinki where he attended the Politecnico (His Aalto), where as a teacher the architect Armas Lindgren, which exerts a strong influence on him.
His career as an architect
After his studies, in 1921, he enrolled at the College of architects, and in 1922 he wrote his first essay in the journal "Arkkitehti". In 1923 back in Jyvaskyla and opened his own studio. In 1924 he makes his first trip to Italy and just a year later marries Aino Marsio, his former partner of the Polytechnic, graduating one year before him, with which he began a collaboration even at work (in fact, for the next 25 years, or until the death of Aino Aalto, all draft joint signatures of both Alvaro take).In 1927 transfers its activities in Turku and in 1929 takes part in the second CIAM (International Congress of modern architecture) in Frankfurt, where he meets Sigfried Giedion and came into contact with several European artists.
The most important collaborations
In these years the most important collaborations for the formation of future genius of Alvar Aalto, among which the one with Erik Bryggman with which organizes the exhibition of settecentenario of the city of Turku.Transfer to Helsinki
In 1931 he moved to Helsinki and in 1933 participates in the fourth CIAM and the preparation of the Athens Charter. In 1932 creates a series of glasses with circular overlapping bands, drawing a chiaroscuro decoration which helps in the socket.In 1933 his furniture are exposed in Zurich and London and the following year he creates the company "Artek" for mass production of his furniture.
Successful exhibitions
From that moment begins to exhibit the most prestigious works in several countries: in Italy (V Triennale of 1933), Switzerland (Zurich), Denmark (Copenhagen) and United States (MoMA), and in 1936 he created his famous Savoy vase.In 1938 the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City organizes an exhibition of his works, circulated soon after in different cities around the world.
The New York World's fair
Alvar Aalto in 1939 he traveled for the first time in the United States, on the occasion of the world fair in New York, where he showcases his works within the Finnish Pavilion. During this demonstration also holds a Conference at Yale University.The work in the USA
In 1940 invented the famous leg "Y" which will then be repainted, fourteen years later (in 1954) as fan-shaped leg, made up of a series of sheets of plywood finish.From 1945 onwards begins to work simultaneously in America and Finland, and in 1947 he was commissioned to build the dormitories of the student House of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge. In the same year he was awarded an honorary degree by Princeton University.
In 1948 he won the competition to build the Finnish Institute for pensions in Helsinki, built between 1952 and 1956, for which Aalto experimented with the use of sound-absorbing materials and a system of irradiation heating.
Aino's death
In 1949 his wife Aino dies with which, until then, had created and signed all of his projects. Between 1949 and 1951 Saynatsalo Town Hall, realizes and remarried to Elissa Makiniemi.Consecrating works and awards
Between 1958 and 1963, in Germany, creates the cultural centre of Wolfsburg and between 1961 and 1964 the work of Essen. In Italy designs the cultural centre of Siena (1966) and the Church of Riola, near Bologna.Since the 1950s is beginning to attract some of the most prestigious international awards, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1957 and an honorary degree from Politecnico di Milano. In 1965 instead, having held a major exhibition in palazzo Strozzi in Florence, is finally recognized as among the best European artists of the century.
The last years
In 1967 opened the Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä, which he designed himself, who is in charge of cataloguing, conservation and exhibition of Finnish architect. His latest project, dating back to 1975, is that for the University area of Reykjavik, Iceland. He died in Helsinki in 1976 at the age of 11 may the 78 years.Translation authorized by the website: Biografieonline.it under Creative Commons License.