Alvar Aalto

The Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was one of this century's great reformers in architecture and interior design. Aalto's work demonstrates an intense individualism combined with clear-sighted understanding of the international architectural trends of his day. A striking characteristic of his work is a rationalism that is sensitive to both humankind and nature. So powerful was his personal style that there is no Aalto school of architecture, nor is it possible to identify any architects whose work had a particular influence on him, although from the realm of free- form architecture Frank Lloyd Wright stands out as a point of comparison, as does Le Corbusier. In his later years Alvar Aalto tried to avoid publicity and was rarely interviewed; he chose to speak through his work. This film includes his last interview for television. It shows major examples of his architecture - hospitals and industrial buildings as well as domestic projects - and also many of the furnishings and fittings on which his reputation largely rests. These were often created specifically for his interiors, but then would be adapted for general manufacture, frequently becoming acknowledged classics. Much of his furniture is still in production, and it is stylishly and imaginatively presented in this film.

For more information see section 13

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