Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto is an essential figure in the history of 20th-century design and architecture. His style, deeply connected to nature and human well-being, gave rise to a new way of understanding everyday objects and spaces. Here, we explore his legacy and some of his most representative creations.
Alvar Aalto: Finnish Design at the Service of People
Born in Kuortane, Finland, in 1898, Alvar Aalto was an architect, urban planner, and industrial designer. His work was characterised by a holistic vision in which architecture, furniture, and objects interact with one another. In contrast to the cold rationalism of other modern movements, Aalto introduced warmth, organic curves, and natural materials such as wood, glass, and linen.
He founded Artek alongside his wife, Aino Aalto, with the aim of producing functional, durable, and beautiful furniture. Aalto sought to create designs that responded to people’s real needs, drawing clear inspiration from the Finnish landscape and Nordic folk art.
Among his most representative designs are:
- Stool 60: An iconic three-legged stool made from bentwood, stackable, simple, and perfectly proportioned. One of the clearest examples of how functional design can become a cultural symbol.
- Screen 100: Made from curved birchwood slats, this room divider is flexible, warm, and sculptural. Few objects express Aalto’s organic and fluid vision of space so clearly.
Alvar Aalto understood design as an extension of life: natural, honest, and approachable. His creations remain benchmarks of modern Scandinavian design, admired for their simplicity, human-centred approach, and timeless beauty.