Villa Mairea

Piamio Sanitorium

Piamio Chair

(1898-1976)

Theories and approach

In his building designs and through clever use of modern materials and technology, Alvar Aalto tried to capture ideas which reflected elements like climate, landscape and culture. He combined continental influences of modern architecture with nordic ideas from his Finnish homeland. He believed that nature, not the machine, is the most important model for architecture. “The architect’s task is to make our life patterns more sympathetic,” he said.

Look at two different buildings by Aalto, the Villa Mairea and the Piamio Sanatorium, which are linked to from the thumbnail images above.

Can you detect similarities in their design which reflect Aalto’s approach?
What practical solutions does he present in the two buildings where he attempts to combine nature and technology?

Theory and approach in example one

The Villa Mairea was built at Noormarkku in Finland. Although it was very luxurious Aalto hoped it would act as a showcase for quality design solutions that might be adapted for future extensive housing programmes. This was typical of the social dreams of post-war functionalist designers – designers who believed that the form of a thing should be dictated by its use.

Aalto developed his own humanist approach (a belief in human effort and ingenuity) in which ideas of functionalism were combined with the traditional Finnish peasant home designs. His designs were based on the idea of humans, nature and art working in harmony.

The Villa Mairea design takes into consideration two opposing themes – nature and culture, and rustic and urban – with its primitive hut and the refined villa. Aalto’s aim was to envelope the villa’s inhabitants in nature and give them emotional comfort.

Consideration of possibilities

Between the Villa Mairea and its nearest neighbours lies a hill covered in fir trees. Aalto linked the interior of the building to its natural surrounding with: a sun/rain canopy supported by tree-like pillars; a free-form swimming pool; a traditional log sauna; materials like teak, spruce, slate and brick, rough stone steps and grass roofs on concrete beams.

Aalto also tried to bring something of the flow of nature into the villa. He broke up rectangular interior spaces with a curved hall and stairs and developed rooms as continuous spaces. The choice of construction and decorative materials helped enhance a flow of movement. There were fabric walls, mixed use of teak, steel, plaster, glass, black steel columns wrapped with rattan (to simulate peeling bark) and birch strips. Colours were pale and in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Final outcome

The Villa Mairea was a two-storey, flat-roofed building. Part of it was steel-framed, part of it built with perforated bricks. It was built of the best and most select materials. It was designed with beautiful form and proportion, and provided comfort and an unusual closeness to nature.

Theory and approach in other designs
Sanatorium in Piamio (1929-33)

When Aalto was bed-ridden for a while he was sensitive to dazzling lights, noises and draughts. He resolved to avoid them in his Piamio Sanatorium.

Modernism was well-suited to sanatorium architecture. Before the discovery of antibiotics, doctors treated tuberculosis with light, air, sun and hygiene – the very factors modern architecture considered important.

The building was characterised by a joyfulness usually quite foreign to sanatoriums. Many aspects of its design integrated architecture with nature – it was built on a beautiful pine heath and the roof-level sun terrace had planters with fir trees said to give off ozone which helped rehabilitate patients.

Inside, Aalto created a restful atmosphere by painting ceilings darker than the walls to ensure lighting didn’t dazzle. Communal spaces had windows facing different directions to make lighting as varied as possible and day-room corners gave open views to the surrounding garden and forest.

Furniture design
Piamio Chair

The Piamio Chair was designed by Alvar Aalto for patients at the Piamio Sanatorium. He claimed it helped patients breath better and was made in wood rather than steel because wood is a warmer, more supple material. It was made with bent laminated veneer, and despite its lack of upholstery the springy seat afforded comfortable sitting.

The seat had a natural and unobtrusive form and was relatively cheap to make in terms of materials (birch and plywood), technology and time. Aalto’s design reflects his interest in mixing materials and shapes. Look at the rectilinear forms and organic curves.