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Definition: Aalto, Alvar from Philip's Encyclopedia

Finnish architect and furniture designer, famous for his imaginative handling of floor levels and use of natural materials and irregular forms. Aalto's work includes the Sanatorium at Paimio (1931), the Finnish Pavilion at the New York International Exhibition (1939), Baker House at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1947-49), and Finlandia House, Helsinki (1967-71). See also modernism


Aalto, Alvar

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ŏl'vär äl'tō), 1898–1976, Finnish architect and furniture designer. Aalto is considered one of the foremost architects of the 20th cent. Most of his designs were made in collaboration with his first wife, Aino Maria Marsio, 1894–1949, the celebrated furniture designer and architect. Aalto's work adapted Finnish building traditions to modern European techniques and to the specific function of the structure in boldly expressive style. His designs for the municipal library at Viipuri (1927–35; now in Vyborg, Russia) and the tuberculosis sanitarium at Paimio (1929–33) were outstanding functionalist works. He gained international fame for his remarkable designs for sleek molded and laminated birch wood furniture and for his plans for the Finnish pavilions at the expositions in Paris (1937) and New York (1939). Signature furniture pieces widely used in both institutional and residential settings include his three-legged stool, a classic of modern design, and the curvingly sculptural yet…
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Full text Article Aalto, Alvar

From Philip's Encyclopedia
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Full text Article Aalto, Alvar (1898-1976)

From The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Design Since 1900
Was a Finnish architect and furniture designer who studied architecture at the Helsinki Polytechnic (1916-21), after which he travelled extensively in Europe. In 1923 he opened his first office in Jyvaskyla and married the architect Aino Marsio in 1925. She was to be his most important collaborator…
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In the early 20th century, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian furniture designers were at the forefront of the Modern movement. Designing specifically for machine production, they rejected ornament and experimented with the new materials of tubular steel, aluminium, chromium, and preformed plywood, …
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Full text Article Aalto, Alvar

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ŏl'vär äl'tō), 1898–1976, Finnish architect and furniture designer. Aalto is considered one of the foremost architects of the 20th cent. Most of his designs were made in collaboration with his first wife, Aino Maria Marsio, 1894–1949, the celebrated furniture designer and architect. Aalto's work…
| 273 words
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Full text Article Aalto, (Hugo) Alvar (Henrik)

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
(born Feb. 3, 1898, Kuortane, Fin., Russian Empire—died May 11, 1976, Helsinki) Finnish architect and designer. He graduated from the Technical Institute of Helsinki and in 1925 married Aino Marsio, who served as his collaborator. His reputation rests on a distinctive style that blends classic…
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Since the 1940s glass has increasingly been used as a medium for bold artistic expression. Designers - aided by technology and the growing expertise of glassblowers able to achieve sophisticated forms - have capitalized on its fluid and malleable properties to create ever more sculptural forms. Bold…
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Full text Article Aalto, (Hugo Henrik) Alvar

From Chambers Biographical Dictionary
1898-1976 Finnish architect and designer Born in Kuortane, he studied at Helsinki Polytechnic and evolved a unique architectural style based on irregular and asymmetric forms and the imaginative use of natural materials. Regarded as the father of Modernism in Scandinavia, Aalto designed numerous…
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Although plastic and synthetic materials were very fashionable from the late 1950s, designers, especially those in Scandinavia, continued to use indigenous woods such as ash and birch. Inexpensive wood substitutes such as MDF were also popular from the 1970s. In the early 1920s the Finnish designer…
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The Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s, which derived its name from the 1925 Paris Exhibition - the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes - was the first truly modern style of the 20th century. In their subject-matter, style, and bright colours, Art Deco furniture, jewellery, …
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Full text Article Aalto

From Collins English Dictionary
| 34 words
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