Aalto

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the death of Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), one of the greatest figures in the history of architecture, this monographic exhibition focuses on the extensive body of work that he developed with both his wives, Aino Aalto (1894–1949) and Elissa Aalto (1922–1994). The Aalto family revolutionized the humanist aspect of modern architecture, rooting it in an organic connection to nature: through context, form, materials and comfort. They produced countless design pieces through their furniture company, Artek, which was acquired by Vitra in 2013.

Between the two world wars, the Aaltos created an identity for the young Finnish nation, based on the trips that they made to visit Mediterranean courtyards, as well as the International Congresses of Modern Architecture and the World Expositions in Paris (1937) and New York (1939), designing masterpieces such as: the Viipuri Library, now in Russia, Villa Mairea in Finland, Baker House at MIT in the United States, Maison Carré in France, the Kunsten Museum in Denmark, the Church of Riola in Italy, and the Essen Theatre in Germany, among others.

With the advent of antibiotics, his Sanatorium in Paimio set an example to the world on the accessible healthiness of spaces, studying solar incidence, natural ventilation and even silent washbasins. This is the first of thirteen projects currently nominated as UNESCO World Heritage and one of the reasons why the Alvar Aalto Medal is dedicated to recognizing significant contributions to architectural creation, having become one of the most important international awards. Among those who have received this award, such as James Stirling, Jørn Utzon and Tadao Ando, are the Portuguese architects Paulo David and Álvaro Siza, who in 1988 received the medal named after the architect that had been one of his heroes ever since he bought his first architecture magazine in the early 1950s.

It is precisely with this medal that visitors enter the exhibition, formally mimicking the amphitheater of his own studio and sublimating the intimacy of his Experimental House through the fingerprint that he deliberately left imprinted on the perimeter. However, the exhibition does not begin here, in the 1950s and 1960s, but chronologically in the 1920s, on the left, ending with Elissa’s death in 1994, on the right. Thirty-one years later, we now contemplate 31 projects, as well as others that occasionally contextualise them, symbolically organised around biblical themes, emphasising the impact of his work on the construction of the Lutheran faith. 

Presented in the Álvaro Siza Wing of the Serralves Museum, the Aalto exhibition is organized by the Serralves Foundation—Department of Architecture, in collaboration with the Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyväskylä, and curated by António Choupina, Director of Architecture.