Alvar Aalto similarities

[JChoate]

I’ve been recently discussing with friends the architect Alvar Aalto and potential similarities and sympathies with Wright, which hadn’t previously occurred to me. I’m not too well versed in Aalto’s work, other than having been to his Baker dormitory at M.I.T. and also having a handful of his Savoy vases, seen here:



This is a nice short video about Aalto, which points out that he was a designer of complete environments, sounding similar to FLW. It ends mentioning Wright’s appreciation of Aalto’s Finnish Pavilion. Makes you speculate that they might’ve been soulmates had they interacted and if egos allowed.

https://youtu.be/3c7WU7Pbhd8

Speaking of Aalto’s Savoy vases, here’s a beautiful short video showing how they are manufactured. Very endearing to learn how hands-on the process is, involving human skill and craftsmanship. Makes me like them all the more.

https://youtu.be/gMSMceTrnGg

[Roderick Grant]

What is the status of the Paimio Sanatorium? I recall not so long ago that there was a video about it, but cannot recall where I saw it. Looks like it's in a dreadful state of repair.

[JChoate]

Paimio:
Overview: https://youtu.be/TNlvqwXjBX4
Drone footage: https://youtu.be/fmgRC8BLtAY
Looks to be in good condition here : https://youtu.be/ZTKVJm18IbU

[Stephen Cowdery]

He designed this wonderful library in Reykjavík:



It includes a restaurant:



Perhaps somewhat more minimal than Wright’s style, but well thought out.

[Roderick Grant]

I guess I mistook some shots of Aalto furniture ;photographed in a rather sad looking building as being in the sanatorium.

[Roderick Grant]

The only Aalto building I have been in is the 1970 library at Mt. Angel Abbey in Salem, Ore. It's wonderful.

[SDR]

Hadn't known of that one. Looks like maybe Steven Holl picked up some compositional strategies from Aalto ?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... C09945.jpg

http://alvaraaltosarchitecture.blogspot ... angel.html

Hidden treasures. Corbu fans (*gasp*) have only one building in America to admire . . .

S

[Roderick Grant]

Corbu, Aalto, Jorn Utson and Sverre Fehn were friends. It wouldn't be strange to see all of them in any one of their works.

[SDR]

There is a Sverre Fehn house, perhaps the only one I've seen photos of, which evokes Wright. I'd like to see more of his work.

S

[Roderick Grant]

There's a book: "Sverre Fehn, Works, Projects, Writings, 1949-1996," by Christian Norberg-Schulz, 1997, The Monacelli Press.

Fehn's residential work tended to use brick and wood, however his non-residences bore more of a resemblance to the European modernists, more Mies than Corbu. His house plans would probably be deemed suitable by Laurie Virr.

[SDR]

https://www.perberntsen.com/_commercial ... w_fehn.php

http://socks-studio.com/2016/06/18/a-pa ... n-1963-64/

https://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/1997

S

[Rood]

There is a Sverre Fehn house, perhaps the only one I've seen photos of, which evokes Wright. I'd like to see more of his work.
S

One of cousin Sverre Fehn's most interesting structures is his Glacier Museum in Norway ... See:

https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/buildin ... er-museum/

[Reidy]

Since Aalto has come up, here is a presentation at SAH:

http://www.sahscc.org/site/index.php?fu ... ils&id=249