Dimensions
250 x 290 x 25mm
Internationally renowned, the works of Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) are some of the most important and influential executed during the Modern Period. 'Alvar Aalto' is a major and comprehensive study of the modern master's oeuvre. Its unique approach looks beyond the man to create a total picture of an architecture placed in its cultural and historical context. The author draws on his own experience and intimate knowledge of Nordic architecture in Scandinavia, and endows Aalto's structures with a fresh relevance.
During his long and fertile career Aalto's 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, and remarkable sensitivity to natural sites and materials and to the experimental qualities of architecture.
This monograph situates Aalto within the realms of international modernism and Finnish culture, and explores the key inspirations upon which he drew throughout his career: the Finnish landscape and vernacular traditions, Italian domestic architecture and Greek site planning, as well as the work of architects such as Gunnar Asplund and Le Corbusier. The complete range of his work is examined through a study of further recurring themes and by detailed investigations of key projects such as Paimio Sanatorium, the Villa Mairea, Saynatsalo Town Hall, Seinajoki Town Centre, Vuokkseniska Church and the Finlandia Concert Hall and Congress Centre in Helsinki.
Includes colour and black-and white illustrations.
