Alvar Aalto Houses - Tapa dura

lnternationally renowned as the father of Scandinavian modernism, Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) had a long and fertile career designing furniture, glassware, textiles, and, most famously, numerous architectural works ranging from institutional buildings to social housing to private houses. Characterized by their unique blend of organic details, modern volumes, and vernacular elements, his works clearly express the architect's primary concern for the needs of his clients, as well as his sensitivity to natural sites and materials. Aalto's love for experimentation is particularly evident in his residential architecture, which often served as a testing ground for new concepts and ideas. Of the nearly one hundred single-family houses he designed, many are architectural gems that continue to influence architects today. Alvar Aalto Houses presents twenty-six of his most important residences, many designed for some of the most famous personalities of the time, including art collectors, composers, and writers. From the Terho Manner House (1923-26), Aalto's own house and studio in Helsinki (1935-36), the Villa Mairea (1938-39), and the Asevelikylä housing for ex-service men (1940-41), to the Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952-53), the Maison Carré (1956-59), and the Villa Schildt (1969-1970), these houses span the length of his career, showing the architect's development over time and his response to the needs of different clients. Aalto's key inspirations-the Italian Renaissance; the Finnish building tradition, culture, and landscape; and the works of modern masters such as Le Corbusier-are made manifest in his houses, but they also show the architect's exceptional versatility, which enabled him to design luxurious homes, whether for a world-famous art dealer or a factory worker. Beautifully illustrated with photographs by Jari Jetsonen and archival drawings by Aalto, Alvar Aalto Houses includes an essay by Juhani Pallasmaa discussing the architect's concept of dwelling, and insightful text by author Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen, who guides the reader through Aalto's houses from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Jari Jetsonen is a photographer and artist. His works have been published in many books and he has taught at the Helsinki University of Technology and Nihon University in Tokyo. Sirkkaliisa Jestonen is an architect and author and teaches at Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki. Jari and Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen s books include Finnish Summer Houses, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2008, Alvar Aalto Apartments (Rakennustieto, Helsinki 2004), and Sacral Space - Modern Finnish Churches (Building Information Ltd, Helsinki 2003).