Efficient glass façade with perfect color matching In a suburb of Belgrade, a private client fulfilled his dream of a spacious villa with attractive views of the city. Situated on a hillside plot, the detached house designed by local architects Autorski Atelje Spajic impresses with its transparent building envelope made of glass from Swiss specialist Glas Trösch.

In a suburb of Belgrade, a private client fulfilled his dream of a spacious villa with attractive views of the city. Situated on a hillside plot, the detached house designed by local architects Autorski Atelje Spajic impresses with its transparent building envelope made of glass from Swiss specialist Glas Trösch. (more…)

Students at Bochum University of Applied Sciences write letters to famous architects, here to the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

The “Archipedia” series is a cooperation between Baumeister and Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Department of Architecture. Students of the “Architecture Media Management” Master’s program write virtual letters to the crème de la crème of the architecture world, in this case to the Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto.

Dear Mr. Aalto,

Last week I heard about a current competition that I think you would have been very interested in. This competition involves the expansion of the University of Helsinki and is entitled “campus2015”. Today the university, where you also studied from 1916 to 1921, bears your name. I would like to know your opinion on the submitted designs – would you have made the same decision if you had been on the jury? The surrounding buildings were already planned by you in 1966. How would you have positioned yourself in relation to today’s architecture?

Your travels in particular are always reflected in your architecture. For example, I can see hints of this in the church in Muurame (1926) – there are particular elements from the Italian Renaissance here, which you discovered for yourself on your wedding trip to Italy in 1924. How would you describe the influence of your travels? How important were the meetings with Walther Gropius and Le Corbusier for you?

The term “star architect” is often used in the architecture scene today. You would probably reject this term. You describe architecture as a servant of society. The holistic approach you take to your designs is already evident in your first internationally successful building, the tuberculosis center in Paimio. Even here, it was important to you to create not just simple rooms, but an environment that was optimally adapted for people. Here, as in many of your buildings, you designed the interior architecture in harmony with the building. This shows the complexity and precision of your designs. So it comes as no surprise to me that in 1933 you and your first wife Aino founded a furniture manufacturing company in your adopted home of Helsinki. This business provided you with the playful space to expand your design spectrum through material research and new technologies. Many of the objects you designed are still for sale today – the Aalto vase, which you designed in 1936, is particularly popular. As with the vase, organic forms can always be found in your architecture, as we can see from the Aalto Theater in Essen, which is named after you.

You have remained true to your dreams, even though an architect advised you during an internship in your youth to devote yourself more to journalism. Today, you are considered the most important Finnish architect of the 20th century, not only because of your buildings, but also because of your furniture. I hope that your attitude and your work will be taken into account when selecting the winner of the campus2015 competition.

Yours sincerely,

Carola Hestermann

Biographical data of Alvar Aalto

1898 born in Kuortane, Finland
1916-1921 Studied architecture at the Polytechnic in Helsinki
1923 First office in Jyväskylä
1933 Founding of the furniture manufacturing company ARTEK
1986 Finland: Banknote of 50 Finnish marks with portrait of Alvar Aalto
1988 Completion of the Aalto Theater in Essen
1928 Tuberculosis sanatorium, Paimio
1947 M.I.T. Senior Dormitory
1962 Finlandia Hall, Helsinki
1976 died in Helsinki, Finland

Further reading

Louna Lathi; Alvar Aalto: 1898-1976. paradise for little people; Publisher: Peter Gössel; Taschen Verlag
Karl Fleig (ed.); Alvar Aalto. Complete Works, 3 volumes; Basel 1999
Göran Schildt, Alvar Aalto – The Early Years, The Decisive Years, The Mature Years, 3 volumes; New York 1984, 1986, 1991

Further weblinks

www.awmagazin.de
www.alvar-aalto-gesellschaft.eu

Portrait: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Alvar_Aalto1.jpg
Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Heiliggeist_WOB.jpg