On a crisp, if unseasonably warm day in Reykjavík, Wallpaper* finds itself invited inside Alvar Aalto's Nordic House, a late-period masterpiece of Finnish modernism wherein an intimate one-off musical experiment is taking place. Designed and constructed in the 1960s with community functionalism in mind, it's the perfect vessel for a communal deconstruction of one of Icelandic composer and musician Ólafur Arnalds' most personal works to date.

A starkly beautiful collection of eight songs and instrumentals, the 2025 album A Dawning was the result of a profound creative union between Arnalds and his friend and collaborator, the late Irish musician Eoin French, known best by his stage name Talos. Despite the circumstances surrounding its completion – French passed away following a short illness in August 2024 – Arnalds is emphatic that this is not an album about death but, instead, a work defined by its own vitality. The mission to bring this music to the world was rooted in a specific promise made to French: a commitment to ensure the music reached as far and wide as possible.

'He made sure I wouldn't go home and just cry,' he states. 'He gave me something to do, and I promised him that I would do the best I could with this and take it as far as possible. And with that, I tried to fulfil his dream, meaning: promote the hell out of it. That's what he wanted. He really believed in this music. We both do.'

Shortly after A Dawning was released in July 2025, Arnalds began thinking about how best to share the songs beyond the album itself. Crucially, any live iteration had to navigate a difficult personal boundary.

'I set myself a rule that I would never replace him,' Arnalds says. 'I'm never going to stand on stage and get a singer to come in and sing these songs with me, because he can't. I don't want to do that ever. I defined these rules in my mind – "It's OK if several people are doing it, because then it's a group. It's a community."'

It was this realisation that fundamentally shifted the ownership of the work.

'The music really didn't feel like it was mine anymore,' he continues. 'It became a part of our close-knit community. It was with us through the whole process of him passing and the funeral and everything. From the start, it always felt like it had a communal feeling to it… I think it's a beautiful feeling as a musician to actually feel like you don't own these songs.'

The solution to Arnalds' dilemma – how best to share an intimate, collaborative work without anchoring it to a sense of loss – would ultimately arrive thanks to a chance algorithmic encounter with the Gaia Music Collective, an NYC-based creative choir community, via YouTube.

'They came up performing in a car park,' Arnalds recalls, noting the group's rendition of Chappell Roan's ‘Good Luck, Babe!’. 'It fit all the things I'd been thinking about: I don't want to replace him, or make it about his passing. The music lives in the ether. Somehow, this is it. That's how you perform it. You just have people come and live inside of it and feel it and perform it, regardless of their ability or skill or experience, who they are, where they're from, because that's how we felt making it.'

He promptly pitched the idea to his label, Mercury KX, who duly obliged.

'I wrote an email saying, 'I've got something, I think it's gonna be cool, I think we should do something like this and just have a community choir and film it in a random location, not in a fancy concert hall… It's just us singing together for ourselves.' And then this happened.'

The choice of setting for the evening's proceedings feels particularly fitting too with both Nordic House's emphasis on community and its ultramarine blue ceramic rooftop designed to mimic the mountain silhouettes that surround it. It reflects a topography that Arnalds has spent his storied career translating into evocative soundscapes.

Inside, proceedings begin within the elegant surrounds of the Elissa Auditorium, with its white plaster walls and wood-slat acoustics serving as a unique sonic companion for Kliður (pronounced 'Klither'), a Reykjavik-based choir and art collective that meets weekly to sing songs and choral pieces devised by its members. Today they have been tasked with recording renditions of three of French and Arnalds' songs, which were re-arranged for choir by composer and orchestrator Geoff Lawson.

'There's a strange, very technical fine-tuning when you work with someone who's trying to translate your ideas into a different vehicle, in a sense,' Arnalds muses. 'Certain things can get lost because they're not the main featured element of a song – a lead line or a lead motif. But there's a lot of stuff that is very subtle and small that is equally important. A lot of our work is collaboratively talking about what those things are.'

As the evening draws in, members of Kliður are joined by a mix of competition winners, local singers and members of the general public – some of whom have travelled from as far as London to be part of the session. They prepare to be guided through a communal choir experience led by Gaia founder Matt Goldstein and his collaborator, fellow musician Asher Blank.

Founded in 2021 as a response to the isolation of the pandemic, Gaia's mission is rooted in reducing loneliness through accessible, non-auditioned one-day choirs. Over the course of a four-hour workshop, this newly formed collective will prepare a rendition of A Dawning's title track – a feat Arnalds had previously considered impossible to replicate live without French. For Goldstein and Blank, the day represents a unique intersection between professional artistry and a burgeoning global movement of community singing.

'Most of the time we do that in a room with whoever wants to show up: everyday folks who feel like coming in and singing,' Goldstein reflects. 'But every once in a while, we get these cool opportunities where an artist has created some art and they feel the possibility of letting community into their art in a bigger way.'

By multiplying the lead vocal by 50, French and Arnalds' already deeply moving soundscapes move firmly into the realm of shared experience. It is a village effort – a concept that has become foundational to Arnalds after his community of musicians rallied around him during the album's final recording sessions.

'It is foundational to a fault, I would say,' Arnalds observes. 'It's become such a thing for me that it's become really difficult for me to do anything that doesn't have the level of dedication and meaning that this did.'

The group workshop serves as an unlocking of what Asher Blank cites as 'dormant skills' that, in Gaia's experience working with participants from all walks of life, can be found almost universally.

'Choral music is such a core part of a lot of people's schooling, especially in the States,' he notes. 'There are a lot of adults who emerge from high school or college, and they've got these innate skills built into them, that are just dormant. There's some teaching involved, but it's also just about unlocking those skills and the intuitive way of singing that people already know how to do – they just don't have space for.'

The session begins with the group discussing the core philosophy of the music in question, with Goldstein describing the first hour of the workshop as a means of discovery to 'wake up the piece,' noting that 'it will start messy. And it does.

Undeterred, however, the participants break off into groups – sopranos, altos, tenors and bass – to navigate the technical fine-tuning of the translation. Arnalds notes the complexity of moving from electronic motifs to the human voice.

'A choir has at least four voices, we're working with eight because we do two on each section. But the song doesn't have eight voices, so he's gonna have to add notes that are not in the original. And that's the tricky part, right? It's what you should not remove... it's about reducing a lot of, like, what you don't bring over.'

As the night sets in, the choir relocates from the auditorium to the Nordic House library, where the final rendition of A Dawning will be performed in the round, with singers circling the central well – a signature Aalto design element. Before the final take, the group reflects on how their interpretation of the song has changed throughout the day.

'It's always been really special to watch these artists actually in the receiving of other people's meanings,' Goldstein enthuses. 'Oftentimes we think of artists as offering unto the community, offering their art, their music, their performance. In these settings, that becomes a two-way street. An artist is able to really offer their artistry and also receive from people more than just, 'I love your album.' To hear what some of these words, melodies and feelings are and how they're living in people.'

The result is an extraordinary sensation of revelation. Arnalds, returning to witness the final performance following an evening of childcare duties, characterises the experience as being akin to a group therapy session, noting that his friend would have loved it. Far from a sombre memorial, the session feels more like an act of defiant, contemplative celebration.

As the notes fade, the silence that follows the immediate aftermath of the final take carries the weight of a community that has, for a few hours, helped carry the legacy of a lost friend. In the circular glow of Nordic House's library, French and Arnalds' music has taken on a new purpose.

'You come to this very simple conclusion and everybody knows it's almost cheesy to say it, but music is about bringing people together,' Arnalds concludes. 'We all know that. We didn't want to be playing for people. We wanted to be playing with people.’

Chrome is having a moment, and with good reason. There’s something irresistibly sleek about its high-polish finish – delightfully minimalist, yet boldly statement-making. Echoing the aesthetics of early industrial design (chromium plating first gained popularity in the early 20th century) and later midcentury modernism, chrome feels both timeless and cutting-edge.

The appeal that made chrome and other metals such as stainless steel so coveted decades ago remains relevant today. They are ‘modern’-looking, but also durable, corrosion-resistant and easy to clean – qualities that make them perfectly suited to a dining environment. The pieces below bring a chic, industrial edge to crockery, drinkware and serveware – gleaming accents that contrast beautifully with matte ceramics and warm wood.

If there’s one thing that we at Wallpaper* do well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a new monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

A pink desert house in Mexico

Casa Cardona, designed by Sensacional Dinamica Mexicana, stands out in the arid landscape of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with its pink façade. Architect Sergio Padilla Contreras drew inspiration from the shades of the desert, but the home's vibrant exterior – which evokes the hues of prickly pear cactus fruit – is more than aesthetic: it reflects light and shadow throughout the day, echoing the natural shifts of its environment. Casa Cardona embraces the architectural principle of ‘mass over void’, forming a protective, introspective shell that prioritises interior experiences of silence, light and shadow. Strategically placed openings allow sunlight to filter across the interiors, while a tree, integrated into the living space, completes the sensory ambience with texture and scent.

A coastal Kent cabin

Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama of Studiomama transformed a modest chalet on the Kent coast into a warm retreat for their friends, chefs Sam and Sam Clark of London restaurant Moro. The 33 sq m cabin makes the ever-changing sea view its focal point – the coastal light enters through a north-facing picture window framing the water, a glazed rear door, and skylights. Wrapped entirely in thermally-treated pine, the interior feels simultaneously minimal and inviting. Every detail has been meticulously designed for functionality and harmony, from bunk seating and under-bed storage to a built-in, curved kitchen that recedes into the timber walls. The result is a calming space that feels much larger than its footprint.

A floating modernist villa

Villa Kogelhof, designed by Dutch architect Paul de Ruiter, is a striking modernist residence in Kamperland, the Netherlands. It may sound counterintuitive given its concrete, glass and steel construction, but Villa Kogelhof was designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape and sky. Suspended on two concrete supports, the villa appears to float above a 25-hectare nature reserve. This land was once farmland, but has been rewilded as part of a national ecological initiative (permission to build on the site was only granted if it was restored to its pre-agricultural state). Featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing offering sweeping views of the flat Dutch scenery and North Sea, Villa Kogelhof’s minimalism is both dramatic and non-intrusive.

A midcentury bungalow

Osler House is a midcentury Vancouver bungalow originally designed by Canadian architect Ron Thom in 1951. It was renovated by Scott & Scott Architects in 2024, a project which aimed to preserve its original spirit while updating it for contemporary living. This was done with a full frame-up rebuild, along with the addition of a terrace, swimming pool and pool house. That said, much of the internal layout was retained, with only the 1982 staircase reconfigured. A concrete brick hearth provides privacy from the street, while cedar decking and Douglas fir interiors reflect both the home’s location and its midcentury roots. In fact, Scott & Scott was inspired by archival images of the home and used local wood construction techniques to echo Thom’s original design approach.

Donald Wexler’s Palm Springs home

The Wexler House, designed in 1954 by renowned Palm Springs modernist Donald Wexler, was both a family home and a design laboratory. Originally built for the architect and his wife Marilynn, the post-and-beam structure explored architectural concepts that would later influence his steel-framed prefabs. Despite its architectural pedigree, the home eventually fell into disrepair – until Daniel Patrick Giles, a fashion and fragrance entrepreneur, bought and restored it in 2007. Working with Wexler (before his 2015 passing) and architect Lance O’Donnell, Giles led a meticulous restoration. Although he sold the house in 2015, he bought it back six years later, and continued his project.

The last Alvar Aalto building in France

Technically, Maison Louis Carré, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s only remaining building in France, is now a museum, having been recently restored and reopened in this capacity. But it used to be the home of French art dealer Louis Carré, who commissioned it in the 1950s. It was completed in 1957, overseen by Aalto’s wife, Elissa, and local architect Marcel Roux. Located in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, about 40km from Paris, the home was designed as both a private residence and a space to exhibit Carré’s art collection, and exemplifies Aalto’s holistic design approach, which integrates architecture, furniture and landscape.

A home of Indian modernism

The Kanade brothers – Shankar and Navnath – crafted a quiet but powerful legacy of modernist architecture in India, rooted in material honesty, contextual design and social consciousness. Their shared home in the village of Nagaj is an embodiment of these values. Designed by Navnath, the house is built from local laterite stone, with minimal finishes and clever spatial sequencing. It is a modernist structure that is deeply Gandhian in ethos – simple, with exposed materials and minimal ornamentation. Navnath, who passed away in 2024, believed air and people should move freely through space. The home reflects this, with fluid transitions between areas and human-scaled courtyards.

Maison Louis Carré is the modernist architecture master Alvar Aalto's only surviving building in France; and it has just reopened after extensive restoration. The house, considered one of Aalto's finest, has been undergoing important work for its preservation, which began in 2022 with the garden and has now culminated in the home's exterior refresh and relaunch to the public. The monument is an important Aalto site, demonstrating the architect's organic approach in a holistic way, encompassing architecture, furniture and landscape.

Maison Louis Carré: a history

The project was conceived as the home of French art dealer and collector Louis Carré. He moved, with his third wife, Olga, into the property in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, some 40km south-west of Paris, in the summer of 1969. Carré and Alato had met three years prior to that, at the Venice Biennale, when the Finnish architect was inaugurating his home country's pavilion there.

Having considered Le Corbusier to design his home, the gallerist eventually decided to call upon Aalto for the project. His vision was a residence to live in and exhibit his collection. Having visited a number of the architect’s projects in Finland, including the seminal Villa Mairea, Carré invited Alvar and Elissa Aalto to visit his green and sloping site in France on the border of the Rambouillet forest. It kick-started their collaboration.

Tour Alvar Aalto's Maison Louis Carré

Final plans for Maison Louis Carré were completed in 1957, and Elissa Aalto oversaw the build, working with Marcel Roux Architect as the local practice. The main home's volume sits on top of a slope and reveals itself slowly as visitors enter the site. The exterior surfaces are made of a composition of limestone from Chartres, lime-washed bricks for the walls, blue slate from Normandy (on the roof), wooden slats – either teak or ash – for the openings, and copper gutters, edges of the walls, lamps and outside pillars.

Spanning two levels, accommodating the site's incline, the ground floor contains the entrance lobby and communal areas for entertaining, a private section with a sauna and three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and the back-of-house areas. Upstairs are servants' quarters and a linen room. Meanwhile, a basement houses the boiler room and wine cellar.

The house also features an outdoor environment designed by the Finnish master. It includes the main entry path, the garage and the garden, which includes free-form lawn areas, a small wood intended for receptions, a series of sculptural, asymmetrical steps and a small amphitheatre.

Louis Carré said in an interview at the time that he wanted 'a house that was small on the outside and big on the inside', and with Aalto's sensitive architecture and well-balanced volume composition, he certainly got his wish.

With its exterior brought back to its former glory, the house’s reopening marks an important moment in the monument's history. Meanwhile, led by Frédéric Didier, chief architect of Historic Monuments, and a scientific committee that includes specialists from the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the French Ministry of Culture, the project has a final phase of works still in progress. Its interiors and garage spaces are set to be completed during the winter of 2025/2026.

See more of Maison Louis Carré as the location for a fashion shoot in the September 2025 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Modernist architecture emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction against the ornamental styles of the Victorian era and Art Nouveau. Rejecting decoration, modernism prioritised function, embracing new technologies and materials that arose from the Industrial Revolution. It also responded to the growing need for housing as a result of urbanisation. This was architecture for a new century, employing new construction methods and a fresh aesthetic that addressed social, technological and cultural shifts.

A whistle-stop introduction to modernist architecture

Throughout the 20th century, modernism spawned distinct regional variants. Le Corbusier's five points of architecture (more on this below) came to define the International Style, which is probably what most people think of when they think of modernism, characterised by clean lines, a ‘truth to materials’, and hallmarks such as flat roofs, glass curtain walls and steel frames.

In Europe, the Bauhaus School emerged as a prominent source of modernist thinking, with offshoots including brutalist architecture. The United States became a major centre for modernism, developing variants such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School, California modernism and midcentury modernism. In Brazil and other equatorial regions, tropical modernism adapted the movement’s principles to local climates, while, in India, the quest for a postcolonial identity gave rise to its own iteration.

In the post-war period, modernist styles became the dominant aesthetic for institutional and civic buildings – known as late modernism (1950s-1970s). With the rise of minimalist modernism, which provided the blueprint for skyscrapers, and brutalism, which was often used in urban planning, the style faced mounting criticism for being sterile and monotonous. The architectural pendulum, as ever, began to swing back, sparking a renewed interest in complexity that heralded the rise of postmodernism.

Famous modernist architects

To tackle the long list of famous modernist architects, we have organised them by their continent of origin. This list is by no means exhaustive – modernism's vast and diverse nature means there will be many more – yet this is a strong starting point for the movement's most influential proponents.

Further, it reflects the societal imbalances of the 20th century – for instance, in terms of gender. Architecture has historically been a male-dominated profession, with women often pigeonholed into interiors or furniture design rather than building design. Recognition and attribution biases further obscured their contributions, frequently reducing their roles to collaboration or assistance.

Eurocentric aesthetic standards have also shaped the history of modernism, with Western movements often elevated as universal benchmarks, which is why we have chosen to represent a geographically diverse selection. That said, we have started with Europe, where modernism originated.

Europe

Le Corbusier (1887-1965)

Style: International style
Famous works: Villa Savoye; Unité d'Habitation; Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, all France; the city of Chandigarh, India

Swiss-French architect and urban planner Le Corbusier viewed architecture as ‘a machine for living’, and was one of modernism’s most influential figures. He developed the ‘Five Points of Architecture’ – a set of principles advocating the use of pilotis (stilts), open floor plans, free façades, horizontal windows and rooftop gardens – which essentially constitutes the familiar modernist aesthetic. Le Corbusier is also known for the pivotal role he played in designing the Indian city of Chandigarh.

Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

Style: Bauhaus
Famous works: Bauhaus Dessau, Germany; Gropius House, USA

Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus School in Germany in 1919 (later forced to close by the Nazis in 1933). The movement embraced key modernist ideas such as form following function and simplicity in design, while also introducing distinctive concepts like the fusion of art and industry and the use of materials such as steel and glass. The Bauhaus building in Dessau, the art school’s HQ, is an iconic example of this architecture.

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976)

Style: Humanist modernism, organic architecture
Famous works: Paimio Sanatorium; Finlandia Hall, both Finland; Viipuri Library, Russia

Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and furniture designer who embraced functional modernist principles while humanising them through the use of natural materials – especially wood – and organic forms. His career coincided with Finland’s rapid industrialisation in the early 20th century, helping establish the style that he developed with his wife, Aino Aalto, as a blueprint for the Scandinavian modern aesthetic.

Eileen Gray (1878-1976)

Style: International style
Famous works: Villa E-1027; Tempe à Pailla, both France

Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray struggled to establish herself in a male-dominated field, but is now celebrated as one of the most important figures in 20th-century design. Her style blended art deco elegance with modernist functionality, exemplified in the E-1027 house in France, a minimalist villa featuring built-in furniture and sliding panels, which was incorrectly attributed to Le Corbusier for many years.

Lisbeth Sachs (1914-2002)

Style: Organic architecture, humanist modernism
Famous works: Summer House Strauss, Switzerland

The work of Lisbeth Sachs, one of the first registered female architects in Switzerland, is marked by an organic sensibility, with curvilinear forms, expressive materials and structural clarity. She created spaces where interior and exterior boundaries blur, exemplified in her 1976 project, the Summer House Strauss. Her long-overdue recognition culminated with a dedicated showcase at the Swiss Pavilion during this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale (2025).

Africa

Hassan Fathy (1900-1989)

Style: Vernacular modernism
Famous works: New Gourna Village, Egypt

Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy blended modernist principles with traditional building techniques, using indigenous materials such as mud brick and vernacular methods like Nubian vaults and passive cooling to achieve climate-responsive design. Culturally, Fathy sought to develop community-centered, affordable housing for rural, economically disadvantaged Egyptians. This philosophy is exemplified in New Gourna, a planned resettlement village near Luxor, designed in the 1940s.

Demas Nwoko (b. 1935)

Style: African modernism
Famous works: Dominican Institute, Nigeria

Demas Nwoko, a Nigerian architect, artist and designer, integrated indigenous African motifs, materials and crafts into modern architectural practices, challenging Western conventions. He viewed design as a force to positively shape the environment, seeking to create meaningful cultural and social spaces for African communities, such as the educational Dominican Institute, built in the 1970s.

Asia

Charles Correa (1930-2015)

Style: Contextual modernism
Famous works: Gandhi Memorial Museum; Kanchanjunga Apartments; Jawahar Kala Kendra, all India

Although he was born in Mozambique, Charles Correa is primarily associated with Indian architecture, with much of his work addressing urban planning challenges in the country and helping redefine national architecture in the post-independence era. His style fused traditional elements with modernist principles while adapting to local climate and culture. The Gandhi Memorial Museum in Ahmedabad showcases Correa’s signature use of open spaces, natural light and ventilation.

Balkrishna Doshi (1927-2023)

Style: Humanist modernism, brutalism
Famous works: Indian Institute of Management; Aranya low-cost housing, both India

Balkrishna Doshi was profoundly influenced by mentors Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, but forged his own Indian interpretation of modernism. His work often featured elements suited to India’s climate, such as open courtyards, shaded terraces and natural ventilation. Awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2018, Doshi was celebrated for his humanistic approach, which focuses on low-cost housing, communal spaces and sustainable urban design.

Geoffrey Bawa (1919-2003)

Style: Tropical modernism
Famous works: Kandalama Hotel; Lunuganga Estate; Sri Lankan parliament building, all Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa is widely regarded as the father of tropical modernism – an architectural style that merges modernist principles with the demands of tropical climates. His designs frequently blur the lines between indoor spaces and lush natural surroundings, featuring open plans and natural materials. Bawa’s work is climate-responsive, with examples including the Kandalama and Lunuganga hotels, where you can stay today.

Tadao Ando (b. 1941)

Style: Minimalist modernism
Famous works: Church of the Light; Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum; Chichu Art Museum; the Koshino House; the Water Temple, all Japan

Tadao Ando buildings are generally minimalist sanctuaries crafted from exposed concrete with plenty of natural light and water features. His work reflects the Japanese Zen philosophy, with a focus on calm, contemplation and harmony with nature. Iconic projects like the Church of Light in Osaka and the Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum redefined contemporary Japanese architecture.

Minnette de Silva (1918-1998)

Style: Tropical modernism
Famous works: Karunaratne House; Pieris House; Watapuluwa Housing Scheme, all Sri Lanka

Minette de Silva was the first Asian woman elected as an associate of RIBA. She blended modernist principles with crafts, materials and forms suited to the tropical climate of her native Sri Lanka, using, for example, methods such as rammed earth and wattle-and-daub and features like open courtyards, passive ventilation and adjustable partitions. De Silva’s work was largely overlooked due to the gender biases of the 20th-century architectural establishment, but her influence on figures like Geoffrey Bawa is being increasingly recognised.

North America

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)

Style: Organic architecture, Prairie style
Famous works: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania; Guggenheim Museum, New York; Robie House, Chicago

Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionised American architecture over his 70-year career with his philosophy of organic architecture – buildings that harmonise with their natural surroundings. His Prairie style, prominent between 1900 and 1917, sought to create a distinctly American aesthetic inspired by the landscapes of the Midwest, featuring cantilevered roofs, open floor plans and horizontal lines. Beyond his Prairie homes, Wright’s celebrated works include Fallingwater, a masterclass in environmental integration.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969)

Style: International Style, minimalist modernism
Famous works: Seagram Building (with Philip Johnson), New York; Crown Hall, Chicago

Though he was born in Germany, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe made his mark in the US after emigrating there, helping to define the glass-and-steel aesthetic that laid the foundation for the modern skyscraper. The Seagram Building became, in many ways, the global blueprint for corporate architecture. Credited with popularising the phrase ‘less is more’, van der Rohe’s designs are characterised by clean lines, open floor plans and light-filled, transparent spaces. Read more about Mies van der Rohe's life and works.

Richard Neutra (1892-1970)

Style: Mid-century modernism, California modernism
Famous works: Kaufmann Desert House; Lovell Health House, both California

Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra was a key figure in midcentury modernism, particularly in Southern California, where buildings such as the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs helped define the California modern style. His designs are sleek, light-filled and open plan, emphasising health, lifestyle and a connection with the outdoors through the use of glass and natural materials.

Louis Kahn (1901-1974)

Style: Monumental modernism
Famous works: Salk Institute, California; Kimbell Art Museum, Texas

Louis Kahn, recipient of both the AIA Gold Medal and the RIBA Gold Medal, was renowned for his monumental, monolithic buildings that showcase their weight, materials and structure rather than concealing them. Kahn’s designs blend modernism with classical influences, characterised by geometric forms and materials like brick and concrete.

Charles and Ray Eames (1907-1978 and 1912-1988)

Style: Mid-century modernism
Famous works: Eames House, California

Perhaps two of the most influential figures in 20th-century design, married couple Charles and Ray Eames are renowned for their contributions to architecture, furniture and industrial design. Their use of new materials like moulded plywood and fibreglass combined functionality with aesthetics. The Eames House, built in 1949 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, stands as a landmark of midcentury modern residential architecture.

South America

Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012)

Style: Brazilian modernism, sculptural modernism
Famous works: Civic buildings of Brasília; Niterói Museum of Contemporary Art, both Brazil; United Nations Headquarters, US

Strongly influenced by Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer’s use of free-form concrete, often cast in sinuous curves that echoed the natural landscapes of Brazil, led some to dub him a ‘sculptor of monuments’. Along with urban planners Lúcio Costa and Joaquim Cardozo, Niemeyer helped design the new capital of Brasília in the 1950s, including the National Congress, the cathedral and the Palácio da Alborada.

Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992)

Style: Brazilian modernism, humanist modernism, brutalism
Famous works: SESC Pompéia; Glass House; São Paulo Museum of Art, all Brazil

Born in Italy, Lina Bo Bardi is celebrated for her contributions to Latin American architecture, particularly in Brazil, where she navigated challenges as both a foreigner and a woman. An advocate for architecture’s social potential, she created buildings marked by cultural and material sensitivity, blending brutalist forms with Brazilian vernacular influences.

Carlos Raúl Villanueva (1900-1975)

Style: Regional modernism, brutalism
Famous works: Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas; Olympic Stadium, both Venezuela; Aula Magna, Mexico

Venezuelan but raised in Europe, Carlos Raúl Villanueva brought modernist ideals to Latin America, where he fused them with local cultural and climatic contexts. A defining concept in his work was the idea of ‘synthesis of the arts’, a belief that architecture should be integrated with painting, sculpture and other visual arts. Villanueva also drew from brutalism, with extensive use of reinforced concrete, and his projects often had a social dimension – he played a major role in shaping the urban fabric of cities like Caracas and Maracay.

The Shakers: A World in the Making

On 7 June 2025, the Vitra Design Museum in Germany will launch ‘The Shakers: A World in the Making’, which will run until 28 September. The exhibition will explore the enduring influence of the Shakers, a Protestant sect that originated in England in the mid-1700s, its members emigrating to the American colonies in 1774.

‘The Shakers: A World in the Making’, with an exhibition design by Milan-based studio Formafantasma (a winner at Wallpaper's 2025 Design Awards), will bring together over 150 original Shaker artefacts, as well as newly commissioned works by contemporary artists and designers, creating a dialogue between history and modern creativity.

One of the exhibition’s four sections, titled ‘I Don’t Want to be Remembered as a Chair’, argues that Shaker design should not be appreciated purely for its aesthetics but through the lens of the group’s religious and communal philosophy. Thus, ‘The Shakers: A World in the Making’ will examine how these values became a wellspring of inspiration for modern designers, and how the Shakers’ legacy continues to resonate in art and design today.

Today, ‘Shaker style’ has come to mean a number of things: design that is simple, minimalist and democratic; functional, practical and optimised; and that prioritises craftsmanship and, later, technology. Below, we explore how these principles are manifested in key 20th-century movements such as modernism and Bauhaus, which find their roots in the Shakers’ way of life.

How Shaker principles have informed modern design

Simplicity, minimalism and democratic design

The Shakers were, in many ways, ahead of their time, espousing egalitarian ideals and even institutionalising gender equality in the 1780s. These values extended to those with physical disabilities. The Shakers’ inclusive philosophy, explored in the exhibition through the work of artist Finnegan Shannon, was reflected in their architecture and design, which prioritised accessibility and simplicity – design for all, not just the elite.

This laid the groundwork for modernism, which emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction against the ornate styles of Victorian and art nouveau. Modernist designers preferred clean lines and rejected unnecessary decoration, intending for their work to be applicable across cultures and contexts. The likes of Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames admired Shaker principles.

Bauhaus, which emerged in 1919, adopted similar ideals, with its clean lines and geometric shapes, avoiding ornamentation. Scandinavian design, too, bears the hallmarks of Shaker design, with its uncluttered, streamlined look (think Danish designer Hans Wegner’s iconic ‘Wishbone’ chair, as seen in this Swiss chalet, which has distinct echoes of Shaker seating). It also follows democratic ideals, aiming to create high-quality design for the many, distilled in the business model of Swedish stalwart Ikea.

Functionality, practicality and spatial optimisation

The importance that the Shakers placed on labour translated into designs that were functional: think ladder-back chairs, straight-legged tables, built-in cupboards, and efficient storage solutions such as wall-mounted rails, boxes and baskets. The Shakers were early adopters of serial furniture production; in the exhibition, in the section titled ‘When We Find a Good Thing, We Stick To It’, audiences can see examples of standardised and customisable Shaker chairs.

This element of Shaker design can be felt in Bauhaus, where decorative elements were minimised unless they served a function, and Scandinavian design, which seeks to create beauty from utility. Modernism sought to create efficient spaces and objects for modern life; the idea underpinning the ‘Eames Molded Plywood Chair’, for example, was that every element served a purpose. Modernism’s layouts, meanwhile, often used an optimised grid system.

‘The Shakers: A World in the Making’ uses furniture such as cabinets, chests of drawers and sewing desks to illustrate the community’s instinct towards orderliness, as codified in their 1821 and 1845 Millennial Laws, a body of teachings covering a wide range of aspects of Shaker life, including behaviour, dress and even how to climb stairs.

Craftsmanship, natural materials and openness to technology

The Shakers had a strong work ethic, which also translated into a focus on craftsmanship. In ‘I Don’t Want to be Remembered as a Chair’, the Shaker belief in labour as a form of worship is reinterpreted by artist and designer Chris Halstrøm through a large-scale embroidered artwork where each stitch is represented as a prayer.

The group’s emphasis on handmade quality resonated with the Arts and Crafts movements which took off in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and valued natural materials, simple joinery and built-to-last construction. The idea is also felt in Scandinavian design, where quality is paramount; this movement also, like the Shakers, favours organic materials such as wood, leather, linen, and stone.

Despite their insular communities, the Shakers were open to outside influences. The exhibition’s ‘Every Force Evolves a Form’ section traces how they interacted with the advancements of the wider world, showcasing oval boxes and rudimentary power tools. In ‘The Place Just Right’, audiences can see a radio that belonged to the Shaker community in Canterbury, Connecticut, as well as musical artefacts such as a metronome (music was a big part of Shaker life; they gained their moniker through the worshipful dance for which they were known). Shaker innovation is also explored through a commission from Christien Meindertsma, who reimagines their basketry as a biodegradable coffin.

Like the Shakers, later design movements such as modernism and Bauhaus embraced technological progress, especially industrial production, as a means of improving everyday life.

Full exhibition details at vitradesignmuseum.de

It feels like the past year was one of reassessment. In fact, the prefix ‘re’ seems to be popping up in project descriptions and initiatives the world over, with architects rethinking, restructuring, refitting and reimagining, aiming to restore, rebalance and renew the built environment and the way we live. Perhaps this is nothing new and indeed the entire purpose of architecture – to transform lives. Or perhaps this is felt more acutely now than ever, as big, ongoing debates on critical global topics (sustainability, equality, inclusion) and dramatic recent world events (pandemic, war and political turbulence) have sparked an urge in us all to hit refresh.

An overarching need for repair and reinvention is sparking simultaneously a speeding up and a slowing down of action on various fronts, as signalled in some key new projects that are primed to set the mood for 2025 – as part of an era of powerful, yet gentle statements.

Wallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki delves into what defined the 2025 Wallpaper* Architecture Awards

Wellbeing and restorative strategies are increasingly coming to the forefront of our efforts to nurture people, places, and souls. In this context, connecting with nature is steadily rising to the top of the priority list for many. For some, this might take the form of experiencing open spaces and the wild outdoors or seeking solitude and retreat, where one can focus on views, nature and oneself. Protecting and preserving said nature is an arm of this practice, boldly delivered through an entirely new arboretum in Belgium’s Marche-en-Famenne.

This trend can also bring out the desire to escape; here holiday homes, from the archetypal, simple cabin to more luxurious, contemporary guest houses, have always had this allure, often used as shorthand for the desire to leave the world’s problems behind and go into cocoon mode to refocus and hopefully, reach inspired solutions. Few projects embody this sentiment better than Halifax architect Brian MacKay-Lyons’ El Aleph, a building that is ‘silent, but with more to say’ on the ragged Canadian coast.

Of course, it would be naive to suggest that we should all forego the buzz of urban living and become solitary nature explorers. Cities and their myriad offerings present a different kind of ecosystem but one that’s equally important to develop and grow, blending the urban condition’s multiple layers and facets, while prioritising residents’ (human and otherwise) well-being.

Pausing to breathe and sync with the elements can happen here too, and doing so is not a mere ‘bonus’ any longer – but a necessity. The case of Rotterdam, The Netherlands’ second largest metropolitan area (but at a couple of million, still relatively small, compared to the world’s megalopolises) brings an interesting and refreshing approach to the global stage. How can this industrial, modern, growing city incorporate sustainable attitudes and intentions? The answer seems to be through several initiatives, all happening simultaneously, taking action at different scales while playing the long game.

This rethinking of our built environment also translates to the smaller scale and existing buildings. Our rich legacy of 20th-century treasures, many of which are now steadily becoming in urgent need of a refresh, is an interesting topic to explore in this light. What does the legacy of modernism mean for the 21st century, and where does it fit into our current needs and wider zeitgeist? We certainly do not need to reject the past altogether – but rather, make it work in a way that responds to the needs of today.

Helsinki’s Finlandia Hall, a listed, landmark project by Finnish modernist Alvar Aalto, responds to this with a dramatic restoration – yet a subtle one, which you may not even notice if you are simply walking past it. Opening in January 2025, the building has been delicately transformed in its accessibility and energy efficiency, while painstakingly and faithfully updating the monument’s fabric where needed.

Meanwhile, tackling the other end of the spectrum of the life of a building, Limbo Accra has launched its first physical museum - Limbo Museum - in the Ghanaian capital tasked with examining the African continent’s unfinished buildings, what they mean, and the role of these ‘ruins’ in our cities.

Architecture is a notoriously slow-moving beast, but if these projects are any indication, there is plenty to be hopeful about for 2025. And there’s plenty to be looking out for too, as after a pandemic lull, a slew of key new cultural openings are now on the horizon for the new year – including (but not limited to) the Yale Centre of British Arts’ reopening post-restoration in New Haven; the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture by Asif Khan in Almaty, Kazakhstan; the Frick Collection’s reimagining by Selldorf Architects in New York; the 2025 Expo Osaka; ; and Jean Nouvel’s new Fondation Cartier in Paris.

At the same time, the human dynamic seems to be changing too, thanks to digital technology. As architect and academic Lesley Lokko puts it in her essay about taking stock and looking forward to the next year, ‘newer, younger, “other” voices are bursting onto the scene and there is a generosity in the cultural zeitgeist that I find really inspiring.’ To move forward, this injection of fresh thinking is just what we need.

Best Modernist Revival

Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland

Modernist architecture master Alvar Aalto's design for Finlandia Hall, a large concert and congress venue in Helsinki’s Töölö Bay, was built in 1971. It has since become a landmark, not only for its architect’s oeuvre but also for the city and Finland’s wider cultural scene. By 2019, nearly fifty years after its creation, Finlandia Hall was due a refresh. Now a listed monument and beloved city icon, Finlandia Hall has been refreshed by Arkkitehdit NRT, deeply yet delicately restoring its fabric and functions set to bring it to the 21st century.

Best Retreat

El Aleph Guest House by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple, Canada

‘Elemental’ seems to be an understatement for El Aleph and its site, which feels mesmerizingly wild and open to the weather. The project was a perfect fit for MacKay-Lyons, whose studio is known for crafting quiet buildings with a strong presence and a story to tell. ‘When you’re there, it feels like you’re alone in the world,’ says the architect. ‘You can see the other structures but it’s a long journey from anywhere, it’s remote and dangerous, as well as spiritual, so it’s the perfect place to feel the solitude and be in tune with nature.’

Best Urban Rethink

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Rotterdam has been changing, responding to the worldwide climate emergency, its intense densification in the past 15 years, its location on the mouth of the River Rhine, and the gradual move of its enormous port to a site further outside its main urban core towards the sea. Now, a range of new initiatives and live projects prove that this extremely architecturally active city has sprung straight into action in the face of these difficulties. As part of the country’s recently announced ‘New Dutch’ movement, a platform that focuses on its 21st-century innovation, Rotterdam has generated a wealth of schemes that aim to safeguard the city’s longevity and health - both in terms of its urban fabric and inhabitants.

Best Landscape

Marche Arboretum, Belgium

A new plant ‘museum’ has opened in Marche-en-Famenne, in the region of Wallonia. The site, Marche Arboretum, which has been many years in the making, includes a new visitor centre by local studio AW architectes. Marche-en-Famenne is the second scheme of its kind initiated by businessman and dendrologist Philippe de Spoelberch, who started informally planting trees in his family estate in Wespelaar, Flanders in 1966. An extension to an initial 10ha in 1986 allowed him to further his collection. The entire 20-ha extension was donated in 2003 to a dedicated foundation, the Stichting Arboretum Wespelaar - which is now behind Marche Arboretum.

Best Architectural Legacy

Limbo Museum, Ghana

Limbo Accra’s transformative approach to architecture redefines what it means to engage with the built environment - and their latest project, Limbo Museum, has just opened in collaboration with curator Diallo Simon-Ponte and architect Lennart Wolff,. By repairing and reimagining unfinished spaces, the studio creates dynamic platforms for dialogue, creativity and community, resulting in a new legacy for overlooked structures. Ultimately, Limbo Accra’s work reminds us that within every building skeleton lies the potential for new beginnings. 

All of the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 winners will be celebrated online over the coming month and are featured in full in the February 2025 issue of Wallpaper* , available in print on newsstands from 9 January 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

One summer in the 1990s, I went to see the work of Alvar Aalto in Finland, on a sort of pilgrimage. I was a young architecture writer at the time, then married to a young architect; many architects and design enthusiasts continue to do this today. The Finnish modernist architecture master’s buildings have such a profound connection to their location that it feels important to experience them in person and to be immersed in the landscape that inspired them.

I was particularly moved by visiting Säynätsalo Town Hall (1949–52) just outside Jyväskylä in central Finland. This intimate, yet proudly civic building seems to have merged with the landscape: grass grows on the steps leading up to the entrance and the building wraps around a small courtyard as if it were putting a warm arm around you.

Alvar Aalto: a brief history

It is Aalto’s combination of modernist vision with a sensitivity to nature and humanity that defines him as an architect. Unlike many Modernist architects whose reputations have ebbed and flowed, Aalto’s work has never fallen out of fashion and has been a constant influence, from his early projects in the 1930s through to his death in 1976. Born on 3 February 1898 in Kuortane, Finland, he studied architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology, graduating in 1921. Early in his career, Aalto worked in various architectural firms and began developing his distinctive approach, blending functionalism with organic, human-centred design.

In 1929 he joined the important Modernist organisation CIAM and went to the second congress in Frankfurt where he met older architects such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and László Moholy-Nagy. But in the same year he won a competition for the Palmio Sanatorium for the treatment of tuberculosis and already started to break away from strict Rationalist principles by defining his own approach, exploring the psychological impact of architecture on vulnerable people by prioritising comfort, light and nature.

Palmio, which is now a heritage centre, was completed in 1933 and is also notable because it shows Aalto extending his vision to every detail of the building including interior equipment, furniture, lamps, door handles, glassware and porcelain. Curved tubular steel was the material of choice for Modernists such as Marcel Breuer, but Aalto used the Palmio project to develop his interest in timber, a material that was all around him in Finland and had a warmth that softened the interior.

In the late 1920s he had developed a technique of compression-moulding laminated wood in collaboration with master joiner Otto Korhonen at his furniture factory in Turku. The first chair he developed in 1929 had a moulded plywood back with steel legs, but in 1933 he went a step further to produce a chair entirely made from bent plywood, the Palmio Chair which was specially designed for the Sanatorium.

Aalto was a great collaborator and worked closely with his first wife, Aino Marsio, who was also an architect, until her death in 1949. In 1952, he married his second wife, Elissa Mäkiniemi, a designer and architect who led projects in the Aalto office including Säynätsalo Town Hall. He also worked with Finnish designer Oiva Toikka on glassware and with various craftsmen to integrate custom-designed furniture and textiles into his architectural spaces. In 1935, in partnership with Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, Aalto founded Artek to promote his furniture designs and Modernist principles. The company, which is today owned by Swiss furniture company Vitra, became a platform for Aalto’s iconic pieces, like the bent plywood chairs, and played a crucial role in advancing Finnish design internationally.

Aalto’s work has influenced numerous architects, including Tadao Ando, Sverre Fehn, and Jørn Utzon. Finnish architect and theorist Juhani Pallasmaa has written extensively about him and has said that ‘Aalto's architecture is not just a matter of form and function, it is a question of emotion’. It is the emotional connection forged with his work, whether a building, a wooden stool or a glass vase, that makes Aalto’s work as contemporary as it was nearly a century ago.

Alvar Aalto: Key works

Paimio Sanatorium (1933)

A legendary piece of Finnish modernist architecture, Piamio is now open to overnight guests. In keeping with Alvar Aalto’s vision for his landmark sanitorium, built in 1932 as a tuberculosis clinic, most rooms have single beds and en suite bathrooms, and guests eat homegrown food in the canteen. The rooms are the first stage of a renovation that will include a museum, event and exhibition space, and a further 140 rooms. It was a groundbreaking project when it first opened and remains a key example of wellness architecture to this day.

Savoy Restaurant (1937)

This Helsinki culinary classic was commissioned by two of furniture company Artek's co-founders, Ahlström's CEO Harry Gullichsen and his wife Maire Gullichsen. They went to Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino for the interior, which are now listed – while the food on offer is now led by renowned Finnish Chef Helena Puolakka. The space is located on the top two floors of a house built by the Ahlström family back in 1937.

Villa Mairea (1939)

In 1939, Aalto – in collaboration with his wife, Aino – designed Villa Mairea, an experimental private home in rural southwestern Finland. In its grounds, he integrated a kidney-shaped concrete swimming pool that has since become iconic – thought to be the first kidney-shaped pool in the world. It was unusual for its free-flowing form, curved bowl basin, and lack of any sharp angles or corners.

House of Culture (1958)

The midcentury gem that is the House of Culture in Helsinki is one of Alvar Aalto's masterpieces – an iconic event space conceived as a place for performance and the arts and imbued with the modernist architecture master's signature organic curves, sensitivity and use of brick. Completed in 1958 and an icon in architecture history, the place has seen gigs by the who-is-who of 20th-century music, including Queen and Led Zeppelin. Over the years, however, it fell in need of a refresh - and now, this landmark piece of architecture has got a new lease of life by a team led by Design Agency Fyra and including established Finnish architects JKMM, who worked on the interiors, for client ASM Global Finland, its new operator.

Aalto University (Aalto University Campus) (1950s–1960s)

Named after the famous modernist, the university's original campus layout in Otaniemi, outside Helsinki, was designed by Aalto and his first wife Aino Aalto (1894-1949) - but the main building of the former Helsinki University of Technology on the Otaniemi campus was created with his second wife Elissa Aalto (1922-1994). Its use of red brick was bold at the time, and references old Finnish industrial architecture. Its characteristic Assembly Hall, with its rounded shape and organic, soft lines in the interior of the auditorium is an Aalto classic.

Finlandia Hall (1971)

Finlandia Hall is a large concert and congress venue in Helsinki’s Töölö Bay, built in 1971. It has since become a landmark, not only for its architect’s oeuvre but also for the city and Finland’s wider cultural scene. When Aalto conceived this public project in the early 1960s, it was part of a wider masterplan of its bay area. Most of it never materialised, but the hall did, clad in marble, inspired by Venetian Palaces and the ancient architecture of Italy and Greece – coupled with the boldness and futuristic outlook of its modernist architecture genre.

The midcentury gem that is the House of Culture in Helsinki is one of Alvar Aalto's masterpieces - an iconic event space conceived as a place for performance and the arts and imbued with the modernist architecture master's signature organic curves, sensitivity and use of brick. 

Completed in 1958 and an icon in architecture history, the place has seen gigs by the who-is-who of 20th-century music, including Queen and Led Zeppelin. Over the years, however, it fell in need of a refresh - and now, this landmark piece of architecture has got a new lease of life by a team led by Design Agency Fyra and including established Finnish architects JKMM, who worked on the interiors, for client ASM Global Finland, its new operator. 

Reviving Alvar Aalto's House of Culture

The site, owned by Helsingin Kulttuurihub, has been designated for preservation under Finland's Building Protection Act since 1989. This meant the architecture team had to tread carefully to ensure all changes were made in the original structure's spirit. JKMM, the design team behind several inspiring, yet considered reuses of existing buildings in the city - such as the Amos Rex Museum - as well as a wealth of cultural spaces across Finland, including the recently opened Chappe, took on the challenge to head the interior restoration. 

JKMM was assigned to work on the modernization and design care of the public areas, including the majestic main auditorium and concert hall, the black box club, the mirror room, the brick foyer, the lobby areas, and the restaurant. 

As the aim was for the space to continue to serve as an event space, hosting gatherings, conferences, art performances and music shows, all functions needed to be brought to the 21st century, while preserving the architectural spirit of the whole.

The building's basement-level Alppisali hall, a space that has stood dormant for years, has now been fully revitalised and transformed into a new venue. Originally designed as a cinema but having fallen into disrepair, the generous room has reopened as 'Kult,' a black-box type DJ and live music club accommodating 300-500 patrons. 

Elsewhere, areas have been cleaned and restored, refitted with modern technologies and services. Meanwhile, in the interior mix of surfaces and furniture, the architects explained that 'inspiration was drawn from the history of the building, existing surfaces, and today's youth culture, where personal identity is freely constructed by mixing styles and accessories from different eras and crossing gender and generational boundaries.'

The architects write: 'At the heart of the renovation and modernization of the public spaces has been the creation of a functional event environment while respecting the cultural and historical value of the protected building.'

'In terms of interior design, references to different phases of the building's history have been incorporated into the audience spaces. The colours and shapes honour the original spirit of the building.'

The House of Culture’s existing, original furniture pieces by Ilmari Tapiovaara and Alvar Aalto were upholstered and reintroduced with care in various areas that felt fitting to host them, taking into account each space's function. Similarly, existing Aalto light fixtures were upgraded and reused, in another gesture that celebrates the great architect's lasting legacy. 

jkmm.fi

The Aalto2 Museum Centre is the latest addition to Jyväskylä's rich cultural offering. It was there that legendary Finnish modernist architecture master Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) created the Museum of Central Finland (completed in 1961, and later thrice renovated) and the Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-73), standing next to each other, representing his 'white' era. Now, Aalto2 is set to further articulate the architect's powerful creative vision, connecting the two adjacent structures. 

Jyväskylä, 270km north of Helsinki, is Aalto’s home town, and a must-see destination for architecture, design and culture enthusiasts, as it is also home to the largest number of Aalto-designed buildings in the world. There are 29 in total, including the Säynätsalo Town Hall (1949-52), the University of Jyväskylä (1951-71), Muurame Church (1926-29), Jyvaskyla Worker’s Club (1924-25), and Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952-54).  Meanwhile, his otherworldly Finnish Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair was hailed as the 'work of genius' by Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Aalto2 Museum Centre: a vision fulfilled

Aalto2 fulfills Aalto's wish of creating a forum to showcase a variety of art forms. In fact, in his first proposal for the Jyväskylä Art Museum (later the Alvar Aalto Museum), he envisioned a connecting corridor between the two neighbouring institutions, as evidenced in a 1971 drawing.

The extension design that opened to the public this week was created by Helsinki-based A-Konsultit Architects (also behind the renovation of both museums). It has turned the gap with a geometric pool and landscaped garden between the museums into a courtyard. Courtyards became Aalto’s signature element after he saw people socialising in piazzas in small Italian villages. Behind the extension is another newly created small outdoor gathering space with rectangular stone benches for various activities, such as school children’s meetings. 

The interior is a clean, white open space with straight lines seamlessly fusing the two museums on both ends. Its functionalities are multilayered and enhance the visitor experience. It improves accessibility to both museums, and houses the gift shop, the café-restaurant, and the space for events with a wide staircase doubling as an amphitheatre-like seating (another Aalto signature feature inspired by the ancient Greek theatre of Pergamon).

Visitors to Aalto2 are treated to three new exhibitions. The opening show of Aalto2, 'World Heritage – Human Traces', jointly produced by the two museums, is a grand tour of tangible and intangible heritage, accompanied by photos and detailed descriptions. It consists of five sub-exhibitions: World Heritage, Celebrities, Finnish Sauna Culture, Finland and the World, and The Moderns, each diving into its theme. It was curated and designed by the Finnish-Spanish architectural duo Anna and Eugeni Bach. 

The permanent exhibition of the Museum of Central Finland, a regional cultural history museum, 'Exploring Central Finland', takes visitors on a journey across the rich, unique spirit of Central Finland from prehistoric times to this day, with objects to see, memories to listen to, a film to watch, and more. One of the highlights is a working jukebox from the 1960s. 

The new permanent exhibition at the Alvar Aalto Museum, 'AALTO – Work and Life', presents the architect's body of work through his philosophy, drawings, materials, processes, models and end-results. 

The show also highlights works by his wives and collaborators, Aino Aalto (1894–1949) and Elissa Aalto (1922–94); as well as vital collaborators such as Otto Korhonen, a carpenter and factory owner from 1920s, for furniture; Viljo Hirvonen, a metalsmith master electrician from 1950s, for lighting fixtures; and ceramics companies like Kupittaa Clay and Arabia Ceramic Factory for tiles. Mari Murtoniemi, chief curator of the Alvar Aalto Museum, said: 'Aalto was a designer, and absolutely needed the talents and skills of those material experts to realise his designs.'

The exhibition also showcases, for the first time in the museum’s history, illustrations and book cover designs from the architect's 1920s. These supplemented his income while he was building up his architecture commissions. 

Aalto believed that architecture and good design can solve problems in human life and society, as it is the architect’s duty to serve the everyday, and us all. This democratic design principle helped Finland lift its peoples’ spirits and face the daily realities of life after a series of wars since the country's independence in 1917. This principle is amplified in Aalto2 as it welcomes everyone of any age and background to immerse themselves in its well-curated, multifaceted programme of exhibitions and events. 

Aalto2 is part of the 125th anniversary celebrations commemorating Alvar Aalto’s birth.

aalto2.museum 

a-konsultit.fi 

One of Alvar Aalto’s iconic works, the Church of the Three Crosses in Imatra, Finland, is in danger of being lost forever. Originally built in 1958, the modernist architecture church is a well-known work in Alvar Aalto’s canon, despite being set in the small town located at the southeastern part of the country. Although on the shortlist to become a Unesco World Heritage site, the church has suffered major water damage, and the consequences of years’ worth of deferred repairs and maintenance, decaying in front of local residents’ eyes. 

Famed for its unique structure, which consists of three consecutive halls designed to suit a multitude of gatherings and social activities, the church includes a marble-adorned interior and site-specific furniture from the architect’s original design. It continues to attract visitors and design pilgrims, despite not being in use since 2020. While donations, including a sum of €400,000, have been received from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the repairs needed to save it are estimated to be between €3 and €4 million. 

Church of The Three Crosses by Alvar Aalto

For Tiina Laakkonen, the Amagansett-based tastemaker behind Tiina the Store, who grew up in Imatra, witnessing the demise of Aalto’s masterpiece was not an option. So, Laakkonen has set up a fundraiser with a goal of €100,000 to help aid restoration efforts. 

‘I always felt that great design and architecture was everywhere in Finland and part of people’s homes and everyday life. It didn’t feel like design was a kind of luxury that only the wealthy could afford but that was part of life,’ she says. ‘Aalto’s work is the perfect example of this. His work is still very much present in his public buildings, like libraries, universities and churches. The Church of the Three Crosses is considered to be Aalto’s greatest church and it’s wonderful that it happens to be in Imatra. As locals, we are proud to have such an important architectural work by Aalto in our hometown.’

She continues, ‘The church congregation in Imatra has taken a €2.5 million bank loan. I feel that the government is the main funding method behind arts and culture in Finland. Somehow, this falls outside of that scope. The local organisers in Imatra are not used to this type of fundraising and I feel like they need help. It’s my way of giving back to my hometown.’ 

One of the church’s most pressing issues is to have its exquisite roof and structure repaired. ‘The roof lacks the correct ventilation and leads to water seeping in when the snow melts in the spring,' says Laakkonen, who has been working closely with the main fundraising team in Finland. ‘Some of the problems are related to Aalto’s exquisite design, others to the maintenance. I believe that the church is a national treasure that needs to be preserved.’ 

Save the Church of the Three Crosses

tiinathestore.com

When Finnish photographer Janne Tuunanen travelled from his base in New York to his home town of Jyvaskyla at the start of the pandemic, his plan was to take some time to slow down and spend the crisis closer to his family there. Soon, he picked up cycling and riding around town he rediscovered, after years of being away, the modernist architecture of Alvar Aalto; this lesser known, sleepy town in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland, is a treasure trove of the master architect's work.

‘I thought there might be material for a bigger project here,' he says. ‘I approached the Alvar Aalto Foundation about the project and they approved my pitch.' Tuunanen went on to create 17 images of Aalto's masterpieces in the vicinity, including the architect's own Experimental House and Jyvaskyla's main theatre, swimming pool hall and the local Museum of Central Finland.

‘It was my first time shooting Aalto and I felt I could bring a new angle to it,' he says. ‘Most of the existing photos of Aalto locations before this project are very documentation orientated. I thought there is a possibility to photograph them in a more visual manner, bring attention to details and focus on angles that haven't been used yet.'

The project, named simply ‘Alvar Aalto's Jyvaskyla', is a limited series and feels to Tuunanen as much a homage to the great architect's modernist work, as a personal tribute to the photographer's own hometown. 

Tuunanen has used architectural elements in his work before, but never had the chance to create a project entirely focused on buildings. in fact, the series inspired him to take on more architectural work; he recently shot the newly renovated 1952 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, which combines modern design with mid-century architecture.

As tourist board's globally attempt to innovate their way through the ‘new normal’, the typically forward-thinking and digitally-minded team in Helsinki has developed one of the more interesting pandemic coping strategies that we've seen. The city has partnered with local virtual reality firm ZOAN to power-up its Virtual Helsinki platform, opening up design icons like the Alvar Aalto residence and studio, and hosting its traditional May Day celebration in a format which ‘gamifies’ the city.

Having been crowned as the most innovative region in the EU by the European Commission in 2019, Helsinki is at the forefront of utilising digital innovation to create democratic and sustainable solutions for people to experience the city – something that is paying dividends now, in a time of crisis.

Virtual Helsinki has been in the works for over two years. The project sees a ‘digital twin’ of Helsinki built in Unreal Engine using 3D modelling from open data provided by the city, merged this with a series of drawings, hand-crafted modelling and imagery to create one of the world’s most realistic VR experiences.

The Aalto House – the residence of the Scandinavian modernist pioneer Alvar Aalto – is the crown jewel of the project, which also offers virtual visitors (or ‘avatars') the opportunity to participate in activities, visit the historical centre of Senate Square, and archipelago Lonna Island. In the case of Aalto House, which is usually only accessible via pre-booked guided tours, the VR experience throws open the landmark’s doors to a global audience. Design students in particular will benefit: while VR and 360-degree videos are used as a marketing tool by many destinations, Virtual Helsinki goes a step further, allowing visitors to move about freely in the digital simulation of Helsinki, shaping their own experience.

Though the platform will undoubtedly benefit those seeking culture and interaction during lockdown, it will remain live indefinitely, presenting an innovative blueprint for how global communities access cities in the future. Further destinations and landmarks will be added to the experience over the coming months including Vallisaari Island, set to host the inaugural Helsinki Biennial.

INFORMATION

Access Virtual Helsinki here – no headset is required

May Day celebrations will take place from 5pm on Thursday 30 April 2020

Naturalist and geographer Stepan Krasheninnikov first observed a bewildering phenomenon in 1755: Russian soldiers in Siberia ingesting Amanita muscaria mushrooms (also known as the fly agaric) were gripped by hallucinations, heightened senses, and other strange and violent impulses. According to Siberian folklore, the red-and-white mushrooms were used for recreational as well as shamanic purposes.

Some two centuries later in 1977, Danish chemist Povl Krogsard-Larsen began synthesising dozens of muscimol derivatives, eventually identifying a potent psychoactive molecule in the fly agarics. The resulting compound, gaboxadol, has been produced in permanently mind-altering quantity by artist and mushroom maestro Carsten Höller for his solo exhibition at Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg – one of two major surveys currently open in Denmark.

The Kunsten exhibition, titled ‘Behaviour’, is a joint endeavour with Copenhagen Contemporary, where the art centre in the Danish capital’s industrial neighbourhood Refshaleøen is staging its own Höller exhibition: ‘Reproduction’. The shows span Höller’s entire career, ranging from his earliest works (including his infamous Killing Children series from the 1990s) to new, site-specific installations. It’s the Belgian-born artist’s first foray onto Danish soil – and it’s as perception-bending, befuddling, and ultimately amusing as we’ve come to expect from the former scientist.

The serene architecture of the Kunsten – the only art museum ever designed by Finnish icon Alvar Aalto – provides the perfect folly for Höller’s artistic experiments. Here, Höller has drawn more than 110 artworks from the museum’s collection, all dated between 1935-1956 and by artists hailing from the abstract expressionism and CoBrA movements, two benches, each emitting the scent of his mother and father respectively that have been reconstructed using samples of their clothing. It’s a testament to the triggering power of smell – his mother’s heady perfume could easily feel like it belong to yours.

Mushrooms are a mainstay of Höller’s practice, and here his sculptures are dotted around amongst other signature works, such as Upside-Down Goggles (1994-ongoing) and Expedition Rucksack (1995/2019). In one corner of the museum, red and white pills are dutifully spat out every three seconds. from an unseen mechanism attached to the ceiling. Höller has provided a water cooler and paper cups nearby for daring visitors, though quite provocatively won’t reveal the contents of the pills. And for a truly immersive experience, visitors can book an overnight stay in Höller’s Revolving Hotel Room (2008) on Airbnb.

The Copenhagen Contemporary exhibition injects slightly more fun into the proceedings than its Aalborg counterpart, albeit with a dystopian slant. Wooden hoardings initially make the show seem entirely inaccessible; after being funnelled down the sides, we eventually end up in a sort of fairground for the end of the world. A pair of carousels revolve with an impossible sluggishness next to a mushroom sculpture perched on a rounded bottom – an invitation for visitors to try, unsuccessfully, to topple it over. (Höllers scented benches, too, are on view in Copenhagen).

Still, one can’t help feeling like the oblivious subject of an experiment. And it was a challenge to reconcile the shows as two halves of one whole. But, as Kunsten chief curator noted, ‘A common thread in both exhibitions is a universe located somewhere between cool analysis and engaging, immediate sensory experience.’ Not that Höller offers any answers, instead proposing possibilities.

‘My objects are tools or devices with a specified use, which is to create moment of slight confusion or to induce hallucinations in the widest sense. That is why I call them “confusion machines”,’ the artist told Hans Ulrich Obrist in a 2001 interview. Confused we are, but according to recent findings by researchers, the uncanny feeling of being confronted by something that doesn’t make sense can be a good thing. We’ll defer to the scientific experts

INFORMATION

‘Behaviour’, until 23 February 2020, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg. ‘Reproduction’, until 13 April 2020, Copenhagen Contemporary. kunsten.dk; copenhagencontemporary.org

Last month, Artek celebrated a century of Finnish independence with some glossy Alvar Aalto reissues launched at IMM Cologne, while also revealing a host of exciting new collaborations. Then, at Maison et Objet, the brand worked with longtime collaborators Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec on a new hand-drawn fabric design.

Most recently, at Stockholm Furniture Fair, it has sparked up a fresh partnership with Daniel Rybakken for two new collections, marking the Norwegian designer's first official foray out of lighting and into the wider world of furniture design.

The ‘Kiila’ storage and seating collections are unmistakably Artek; flat-packed, heavy-weight and engineered with finesse. But Rybakken brought a personal touch to the project. ‘I wanted to identify what constitutes an Artek product and reflect on those qualities without delivering something that was pastiche or a copy of Aalto,’ he explains.

Comprising a coat stand, coat rack, podium and bench, ‘Kiila’ is a fine example of Artek and Rybakken's melding of art and technology. All of the fixtures are exposed and double as coat hooks, while maintaining refined angles.

‘Kiila’ coat rack.

For the 124° series of mirrors, Rybakken drew upon the experiments with natural light that he uses for his lighting collections. As the name suggests, the mirrors are bent at a specific angle to give a reflection that is not your own. Rybakken explains to Wallpaper* that he is playing on consciousness; you know you won't see yourself, but your subconscious is still surprised when you look.

Both collections were displayed in an installation at contemporary dance theatre MDT in Skeppsholmen. A space that usually holds performances, Artek appointed Berlin architects Meyer-Grohbrügge, who riffed on the setting with a theatrical layout that saw the mirrors floating on a circular set.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Artek website and Daniel Rybakken website

This weekend, some of the sharpest minds in design are set to descend upon the city of Jyväskylä in Finland to take part in the 8th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar; a two-day pow-wow intended to spark critical discussion on current international design.

Design luminaries Jonas Bohlin, Richard Hutten, Jouko Järvisalo, Max Lamb, Hans Lensvelt, Cecilie Manz, Kaoru Mende, Päivi Meuronen and Aimo Katajamäki, Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, and Johanna Vuorio make up the roll call of 12 speakers who will be pondering this year’s theme of MAXIMAL I MINIMAL.

‘The words "maximal" and "minimal" are in every designer’s vocabulary, at least in spirit,’ explains the event’s founder, designer and interior architect Simo Heikkilä. ‘In their day-to-day work designers have to choose between two options: does the task require a minimal approach or would a maximal one be attractive? Will people be happy or downright unhappy when using my design? Is there still a place for art in my design, or should I give in to the WOW factor and commercialism? Does my design have a long lifespan or will it simply become yet more unwieldy waste? Do I work globally or locally, in a maximal or minimal manner?'

In addition to the discussion, this year’s event will showcase the thought-provoking results of a collaboration that took place earlier this year. Tasked with designing a vertical, floor-standing bookshelf to challenge and overturn perceptions of what a shelf can be, the event’s 12 speakers worked with students at Finland’s arts and crafts institutes to manufacture their prototypes, which will be unveiled in a dedicated exhibition at the seminar.

INFORMATION

The 8th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar runs from 27–28 August. For more information, visit the Alvar Aalto Design Seminar website

This year, Finnish design firm Artek turns 80, and the brand is celebrating in style, adding vibrant new upholstery colourways to its classic 'Domus' chair, and relocating to a spacious new flagship in Helsinki. Longstanding collaborators Iittala have got in on the anniversary action, adding a commemorative grey-scale edition to its time-honoured 'Alvar Aalto' vase collection. Artek even took time out of its busy birthday year to co-create some nifty nesting trays for Hotel Wallpaper*.

If that wasn't enough, Artek are set to launch a range of new finishes for the iconic 'L-leg' chairs – from leathers to lacquers and linoleum. As they riff on a classic, we look back on the chair's conception, in 1933, when Artek was but a fledgling idea in the mind of a group of Finnish idealists. It's our small way of raising a glass to 80 years of exemplary design.

The 'L-leg' came into being thanks to Alvar Aalto's adventures in wood bending techniques, which were a new phenomena in the 1930s. With the help of furniture manufacturer Otto Korhonen, Aalto developed a combination of cutting and steaming local Birch wood in order for it to become malleable.

Since then, the technique has remained pretty much the same: after being soaked in water, multiple vertical saw cuts are made in the end of a piece of wood a few millimeters apart – the deeper the cut, the bigger the bend. Then, thin strips of veneer are inserted into these slits and glued, increasing the stability of the finished component.

Aalto had an inkling he was on to a good thing with the 'L-leg' – early on he referred to it as 'the little sister of the architectural column'. Originally designed for 'Stool 60', it soon established itself as an anchor for the wider Artek collection. The beauty of the thing is its versatility – the 'L-leg' can be used as the basis for any number of seats, stools and tables. It has quite literally propped up hundreds of variations since it was patented in the 1930s. The technique has also spawned bending experiments in other materials, like steel, as we saw last year in Artek's 'Kaari' (or 'arch') collaboration with the Bouroullecs.

Aesthetically, these curves have become a defining feature of Artek's designs – flicking through a 2016 catalogue, the memory of Aalto's early bending experiments can be seen in every contemporary curve. But the 'L-leg' also represents Artek's ethos: fusing emerging technologies with art, in order to be true ambassadors and pioneers of Nordic design.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Artek website

Photography courtesy Artek

The Copenhagen-based Chart Art Fair has been championing Nordic contemporary art and galleries through its neatly curated programme for four years now. This year, the fair is doubling in size, introducing Chart Design, a new venture that expands the network and scope of the event, offering a new level to its celebration of the region's culture.

Chart Art Fair was launched in 2013 by Galleri Susanne Ottesen, Galleri Bo Bjerggard, V1 Gallery, Andersen’s Contemporary and David Risley Gallery. The quintet got together with a view to changing the contemporary art fair scene, offering a new experience to visitors, gallerists and buyers.

The event has since expanded to include 28 participating galleries, which every year get together in the charming environs of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. Eschewing a traditional booth format, Chart has been developed as an exhibition, with the founding galleries acting as curatorial figures to present a harmonious selection of works.

A similar format will be applied to the Design fair, which launches with the next edition this coming August. Six leading gallerists will come together to present the best in contemporary and classic Nordic design. Participating galleries to the debut edition will be Denmark’s The Apartment, Dansk Møbelkunst and Etage Projects, Swedish gallery Jacksons, Finland-based Juhani Lemmetti and Parisian gallery Galerie Maria Wettergren, which specialises in Nordic design. The compact but varied design branch of Chart will pay tribute to regional design heroes such as Alvar Aalto and Tapio Wirkkala, as well as contemporary names on the international design scene – from Michael Anastassiades to Fredrik Paulsen and Muller Van Severen.

Breathing new life into the fair scene, this combination of art and design will introduce a fresh chapter for Chart and strengthen the platform for art and design across the region. 

INFORMATION

Chart Art Fair will run from 26–28 August. For more information, visit the Chart Art Fair website

ADDRESS

Chart Art Fair
Kunsthal Charlottenborg
Nyhavn 2
1051 Copenhagen

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Artek has long been a household name in the world of design, known best for their stacking bentwood stools – an emblem of modern creativity. Turns out, there’s more than meets the eye to the Finnish design company, the work of which spans art, architecture, interiors and beyond.

Opening today, the Bard Graduate Center Gallery is hosting an exhibition aiming to shed some light on the broad range of work done by the studio, as well as the shared practice of working pair Alvar Aalto and Aino Marsio-Aalto. The exhibition, titled 'Artek and the Aaltos: Creating a Modern World', is curated by gallery director Nina Stritzler-Levine, and writer, architect and professor Juhani Pallasmaa.

The result of a two-year-long research project spearheaded by Stritzler-Levine, the show offers an intimate glimpse into the two architects’ dual practices, curating over 200 works from the Artek and Alvar Aalto archives in Jyväskylä, Finland, as well as the Aalto family archives. Pieces range from architectural drawings to paintings, glassware to textiles – many never before placed on public view.

Looking beyond the bentwood furniture for which the firm is predominantly known, the show examines the studio’s vast array of under-recognised and diverse work. It marks the first exhibition in the United States to survey Artek, as well as to focus on the Aaltos themselves. Particularly, it affords a long overdue recognition of Marsio-Aalto’s primary role at the firm, bringing many of her hitherto unknown contributions to the fore.

INFORMATION

’Artek and the Aaltos: Creating a Modern World’ is on view until 25 September. For more details, please visit the Bard Graduate Center Gallery’s website

ADDRESS

Bard Graduate Center
18 West 86th Street
New York, NY 10024

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Open for business until 19 March, Plinth is an innovative new retail-cum-gallery space located in Bloomsbury.

Set within the elegant confines of 44 Great Russell Street – a listed 18th century Georgian building opposite the British Museum – the initiative was conceived by co-founders Chloe Grimshaw and Paul Franklin as a means of presenting a carefully curated selection of design, homeware, original work and new editions by a range of artists and makers.

Plinth's offering sees affordable products juxtaposed with design classics and work by celebrated artists, many of which are designed for a domestic setting; Yinka Shonibare's intricately illustrated crockery, Julian Opie's 'Sheep' blanket and a candle – 'redolent of libraries and woodsmoke' – by Perfumer H's Lyn Harris sit alongside silk scarves by the lauded Chinese abstract artist Ding Yi and a striking monochromatic umbrella by art-focussed fashion design Duro Olowu.

Those products represent a neat marrying of form and function, but more abstract, decorative and conceptual limited edition pieces are also in abundance; from Richard Wilson's ceramic 'Still Life Jug', Liliane Lijn's technicolour polyester resin 'Liquid Koan' and a weighty, 14cm high brass tooth by David Shrigley (the work, he states, 'could be used for cracking nuts' with).

If the superlative selection of wares wasn't enough, Grimshaw and Franklin have also painstakingly filled the space with candles, flowers – supplied by F.Bombe – and vintage furniture by the likes of Arne Jacobsen and Alvar Aalto.

The pop-up's gallery – a double height space in the property's courtyard – will host talks by artists and curators such as Wilson, Richard Deacon, Nicholas Grimshaw and Dr Gilda Williams (which will be open to the public and subsequently available to view online), as well as workshops with makers such as Nathalie de Leval and site-specific works by contemporary artists including Susan Collis – who will be in residence on the third floor in a collaboration between Plinth and Birmingham's Ikon gallery – and Jacques Nimki, who will install 'invisible' botanical vinyl designs across the space's ceilings and walls.

'Plinth is not only about providing a new platform for unique artist-designed products and limited editions,' say the founders of the initiave. 'It’s a project centered on a spirit of openness, and creating a means by which a wider audience can access and own contemporary art.'

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Plinth’s website

ADDRESS

Plinth
44 Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3PA

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It would be an honour for any architect to be able to have their their work embellish an Alvar Aalto construction. So when entries opened for a competition for international architects to design the new extension for the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland, it was little surprise that a record-breaking 689 entries were submitted.

The competition sought to find solutions that would act as a connecting element between the two existing Aalto buildings, whilst also developing and evolving the surrounding locale of Jyväskylä’s Ruusupuisto park.

The first prize was awarded yesterday, to coincide with Aalto's birthday. The jury panel – comprising nine members including Alvar Aalto Foundation director Tommi Lindh; and Esko Eriksson, the city of Jyväskylä's real estate director – chose a Finnish project titled ‘Silmu’ as the victor ('Silmu' is Finnish for leaf bud).

The young architectural team – consisting of Sini Rahikainen, Hannele Cederström, Inka Norros, Kirsti Paloheimo and Maria Kleimola – won the jury over with their ‘delicate yet powerful form language’, catering to the panel's requirement of creating a ‘seamless link’ between the two iconic buildings while showing sensitivity towards the cultural environment.

Second place was awarded to another Finnish firm, with a submission coined ‘Kannel’; while Australian-Spanish practice SMAR Architecture Studio secured third place with the ‘The Ground and the Roof’.

'The high-end entries stand out from the rest with their clear, striking ideas and formal properties,' says Lindh. 'The best thing about "Silmu" was its atmosphere and the subtle contours.' The top three asides, two other entries were also awarded a monetary prize, with an additional two submissions receiving honourable mentions.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Alvar Aalto Museum’s website

ADDRESS

Alvar Aalto Museum
Alvar Aallon katu 7
FI-40600 Jyväskylä

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There's a quiet architectural revolution happening in Finland. Over the past century, the Nordic country has been one of the subtle pioneers of modernist architecture, with icons such as Alvar Aalto and Eero Saarinen to boast about. Fast-forward half a century and Finland is ready to make headlines again with its new wave of contemporary designs and a boom in ambitious educational, religious, residential and public building design up and down the country.

This includes both Finnish architects working abroad and a wealth of new work within Finland by local and foreign architects. Popular recent projects, such as the Gösta Serlachius Contemporary Art Museum by Spanish firm MX_SI in the small town of Mänttä, and future works, such as OOPEAA's ongoing Konsthall in Tornedalen, Sweden and the much-discussed new Guggenheim Helsinki by French practice Moreau Kusunoki, have been making waves in both the local and international scenes. The recently announced, high-quality shortlist for the 2015 Finlandia Prize is a case in point.

The strong crop of Finland's new designs and its architects' active, can-do attitudes were two central factors in the recent Alvar Aalto Symposium – the international architectural conference that has taken place every three years since 1979 in Jyväskylä, where Aalto spent many of his formative years. Organised by the Alvar Aalto Foundation (assisted by the City of Jyväskylä), the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Architecture Information Centre Finland, this August's event had a concise, but very clear central theme: Do!

While celebrating classic Finnish architecture such as Aalto's – the architect's myriad, important builds in this small town in the Finnish heartland effectively made him the event's defacto fifth host – the symposium placed emphasis on new and future work that is more about taking action than focusing on theoretical discussion. Presentations were spread across four themes: the local, social, digital and material element of each speaker's work. The lectures looked at different built examples and philosophies from several countries around the world – participants included from India's Rahul Mehrotra, China's Liu Xiaodu/Urbanus, and the USA's Greg Lynn and IwamotoScott – as well as Nordic projects.

Through the conference's well-planned programme, chaired by OOPEAA principle Anssi Lassila, Finland had the chance to contemplate its own architectural approach and be inspired by the strong international participation, as well as show off its crop of new projects; a rich and varied collection, placing Finland firmly on the 21st century architecture map. 

When it comes to holiday bolthole settings, Finland has some of the best. Rich forests, fresh air and cool lakes make up for an invigorating landscape to relax and recharge - as well as the perfect scenery for some of the country's most striking modern architecture. The Finnish countryside is home to some of Alvar Aalto's best work.

This is also the focus of the Alvar Aalto Museum's latest show, La dolce vita - Summer paradises by Alvar Aalto, on display in time for the 2015 Alvar Aalto Symposium, which took place last weekend. Looking at the grand master's vacation house commissions, from one-off villas for friends and acquaintances to smaller cottages, country clubs and humble huts, built work and competition proposals, this exhibition has it all.

Tapping into a seminal page in the country's architectural history, this theme is also a very important one in the Finnish society's development in the past century. 'In a hundred years, Finland has become a land of half a million summer homes,' explains Alvar Aalto Museum Curator Mari Murtoniemi. 'From the very beginning, Finns have sought inspiration for building from various sources, including the summer homes of artists and architects. There were even architectural competitions set up to create drawings for summer villas and weekend cottages.'

The show presents architectural photography, drawings and scale models of selected houses, as well as rare footage of Aalto's family home videos, capturing them on holiday in the 1920s. On display at the museum's main gallery in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, La dolce vita celebrates the traditional Finnish way of spending the summer through a tour of Aalto's subtly powerful designs.  

ADDRESS

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Alvar Aalto Museum
Alvar Aallon katu 7
Jyväskylä, Finland