Hardcover book 21x26cm 96 pages Aalto - Taschen

Discover the gentlest side of architectural modernism in this introduction to the work of Alvar Aalto, the man who challenged the modernist norm to prioritise soft, poetic, undulating forms imbued with a sense of social compassion and national identity.

Lyrical forms from Finland

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) left a unique mark on modernism. Influenced both by the landscape and by the political independence of his native Finland, he conceived warm, curved and empathetic buildings that stand in resolute contrast to the smooth, mechanical and geometric creations of most of his European contemporaries.

Whether a church, a villa, a sauna or a public library, Aalto's organic structures tended to replace plaster and steel with brick and wood, often incorporating undulating, wave-like forms that also appear in his furniture, glassware and lighting.

Attentive to detail, Aalto insisted on the humanity and societal role of architecture: "Modern architecture does not require the use of new, immature materials; the main thing is to work with materials that favour a more human line." Many of his public buildings, such as Säynätsalo Town Hall, the conference centre at Otaniemi Technical University, the National Pensions Institute in Helsinki and Helsinki House of Culture, are landmarks as much psychological as physical of a Finland rebuilding after the ravages of war.

This book brings together Aalto's key works to present the architect regarded as the champion of ecologically sound and progressive design, with a profound sense of home.