ALVAR ALTO

AASHNA ARORA ARUNIMA GANGULINIKITA BANSAL TANVI GUPTA

•ALVAR ALTO WAS BORN IN KUORTANE, FINLAND.•IN 1916 HE ENROLLED TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE AT THE HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY,GRADUATING IN 1921.•IN 1923 HE RETURND TO JYVASKYLIA,WHERE HE OPENED HIS FIRST ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE.•JYVASKYLA WOULD BECOME A NOTABLE CITY FOR HIS ARCHITECTURE, WITH MORE BUILDING DESIGNED BY HIM IN ANY OTHER CITY.

EARLY LIFE

•HIS DESIGN PHILOSPHY WAS INFLUENCED BY NATURE AND ORGANIC MATERIAL.•HE DESIGNED VASES WITH CURVILINEAR BASES AND STRIAGHT SIDES FOR SAVOY RESTAURANT-TURKU.•WITH HIS INNOVATIVE DESIGNS AND NATURE FORMS,HE CHANGED THE COURSE OF DESIGN TOWARDSORGANIC MODERNISM.•THE BEAUTY OF HIS WORK IS HIDDEN IN HIS DESIGN APPROACH OF FUNCTIONALISM BUT WITH STRONG CONNECTION•TO ORGANIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN,NATURE AND BUILDINGS.•HE COORDINATED THESE THREE COMPONENTS AND CREATED A SYNRTHESIS OF LIFE IN MATERIALIZED FORM.•HE DESIGNED IN VERY DIFFERENT SCALES-RANGING FROM BUILDINGS,TOWN PLANS,FURNITURE,GLASSWARE,JEWELLERY AND OTHER FORMS OF ART.

DESIGN PHILOSPHIES

EARLY CAREER –CLASSICISM

EARLY CAREER – FUNCTIONALISM

MID CAREER- EXPERIMENTATION

MATURE CAREER – MONUMENTALISM

•HE USED WOOD INSTEAD OF METAL FOR HIS FURNITURE.•STARTED TO PRODUCE INNOVATIVE PLYWOOD CHAIRS IN 1930S.•BUILT PAINIO SANATORIUM IN 1930s.•FOUNDED ARTEL,A FURNITURE DESIGN COMPANY IN 1935 WITH HIS WIFE AND COLLEAGES.•HIS IDEAS HAD STRONG INFLUENCE ON DESIGNERS OF PERIOD SUCH AS CHARLES AND RAY EARNES

LOUNGE CHAIR (1931)

CHILDREN’S STOOL (1935)

WORKERS CLUB (1924)ARCHITECTURAL SYLE: NORDIC CLASSICAL

FEATURES:• DISCONTINUOUS GLAZING ON ALL FOUR SIDES AT

ENTRANCE LEVEL.• THIS BUILDING HOUSES A RESTAURANT AND A COFFEE BAR

WHICH SUPPORTS THE AUDITORIUM ABOVE.• HE EMPLOYS VARIOUS CLASSICAL DEVICES:1. CIRCULAR ATRIUM2. DORIC COLUMNS3. PALLADIAN WINDOW4. CARTOUCHES TO DECORATE THE STUCCOES WALL FRONT FACADE

PALLADIAN WINDOW

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

B.

A.

A. B. STAR SHAPED LAMPS

DORIC COLUMNS

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

C.

C VIEW OF INSIDE

D.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

A

A’

SECTION AA’ D• IMPLIED SYMMETRY ON THE LONGER ELEVATION BUT ITS

SYMMETRICAL ON THE SHORTER SIDES.• THE ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING ARE EITHER SQUARES

OR MULTIPLE OF SQUARES.• THE PALLADIAN WINDOW IS SYMMETRICALLY PLACED

RELATIVE TO THE AUDITORIUM.• VERNACULAR TIMBER DETAILING FOR THE STAIRS

LONGER SIDE OF FAÇADE

SHORTER SIDE OF FAÇADE

PAIMIO SANATORIUM (1929-33)

ARCHITECTURAL SYLE: FUNCTIONALISM

FEATURES:

• USES RCC FRAME WITH INFILL BEING AN INSULATING BRICK CAVITY WALL WHICH IS THEN RENDERED AN PAINTED WHITE.

• FREE FORM CANTILEVERED CANOPY.

• EXPOSED LIFT SHAFT ON THE EXTERNAL

WALL.

EXPOSED LIFT SHAFT

SUN TRAPPED BALCONIES ARE CANTILEVERED FROM THE TAPERING RCC FRAME.

FREE FROM CANTILEVERED CANOPY

PAIMIO SANATORIUM IS A FORMER TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM IN PAIMIO.THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1932, AND SOON AFTER RECEIVED CRITICAL ACCLAIM BOTH IN FINLAND AND ABROAD. THE BUILDING SERVED EXCLUSIVELY AS A TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM UNTIL THE EARLY 1960S, WHEN IT WAS CONVERTED INTO A GENERAL HOSPITAL. TODAY THE BUILDING IS PART OF THE TURKU UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. THE SANATORIUM WAS NOMINATED TO BECOME A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

• ORIENTATION: SOUTH OF THE BALCONIES AND THE ROOF TOP SUNDECK WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEDICATION TO THE SUPPOSED “HEALING “ POWERS OF THE SUN.

• WEST: DOCTORS HOUSES; NORTH : STAFF FLATS.• PLAN WAS MEANT TO BE FUNCTIONALLY ZONED AND

BIODYNAMICAL ALIGNED TO THE COMPASS SO THAT THE DIRECTION OF EACH WING WAS DEFINED ACCORDING TO ITS REQUIREMENTS FOR SUNSHINE AND VIEW.

SITE PLAN GROUND FLOOR PLAN

VIEW OF SANATORIUM

A CONTINUOUS SUNDECK THAT RUNS OVER THE PATIENT WING IS PROTECTED WITH RCC CANOPY TO REDUCE SOLAR GAIN.

DINING ROOM WAS AN ENCLOSED MEZZANINE SUSPENDED FROM STEEL HANGERS FORM ABOVE.

IT HAD A LOT OF NATURAL LIGHT DUE TO DOUBLE-HEIGHT WINDOWS, THE SUN BLINDS OUTSIDE PREVENTED GLARE.

EACH PATIENT HAD THEIR OWN WALL

MOUNTED CUPBOARD AND BASIN. DOOR HANDLES DESIGNED TO PREVENT

COAT SLEEVES FROM BEING CAUGHT IN THEM.

MAIN STAIRCASE HAS NATURAL LIGHT WHICH IS FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE YELLOW COLOR OF THE STAIRS.

THE LAMPS WERE PLACED CLOSE TO THE WALL ABOVE THE BED SO AS TO NOT SHINE DIRECTLY INTO THE PATIENTS EYES.CHAIR SHOWN IN PICTURE WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED BY ALVAR ALTO FOR PATIENTS.THIS CHAIR HELPED THE SITTER TO BREATHE MORE EASILY

VILLA MAIREA(1939)VILLA MAIREA IS A VILLA, GUEST-HOUSE, AND RURAL RETREAT DESIGNED FOR HARRY AND MAIRE GULLICHSEN IN NOORMARKKU ,FINLAND.THE GULLICHSENS WERE A WEALTHY COUPLE AND MEMBERS OF THE AHLSTRÖM FAMILY. THEY TOLD AALTO THAT HE SHOULD REGARD IT AS 'AN EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE'. AALTO SEEMS TO HAVE TREATED THE HOUSE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TOGETHER ALL THE THEMES THAT HAD BEEN PREOCCUPYING HIM IN HIS WORK TO THAT POINT BUT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM IN ACTUAL BUILDINGS

ARCHITECTURAL SYLE:EXPERIMENTATION

FEATURES:EXTERIOR

• THE COURTYARD OF THE VILLA WAS INSPIRED BY THE ORGANIZATION OF VERNACULAR FARMSTEAD.

• THE MASSING WAS INSPIRED BY THE FALLING WATERS BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.

WEST ELEVATION FRONT ELEVATION

VIEW

SIDE ELEVATION

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

B

FG

C

CE

H

D

C C HCI K

K

H

K

L

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

• A – DINING ROOM• B – SAUNA• C – LIVING ROOM• D- LIBRARY• E - STUDIO• F - STAFF• G - KITCHEN• H- RESTROOM • I – CHILDREN PLAY AREA• J – GUEST WING• K – CHILDREN’S ROOM• L - MASTER BEDROOM

• THE INTERIORS FOLLOW THE GRID OF 2850 X 2850 M

TEAK CLAD LIVING ROOM PROJECTS FORWARD TO CREATE SHALLOW BALCONIES THAT LEAD ON TO THE PRINCIPLE BEDROOM ABOVE.

THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE – THE DOOR

IS APPROACHED UNDER A TWO LEVEL CANOPY SUPPORTED BY COMPOUND TIMBER COLUMN AND SCREENED BY MINIATURE FOREST OF POLES.

MAIN STAIRCASE INSPIRED BY JAPANESE BAMBOO SCREENS.

RATTAN – WRAPPED COLUMNS CONTINUE TO EVOKE THE FINNISH.

•TO ENTER THIS INNER SANCTUM, COLUMNS ARE MADE TO RESEMBLE TREE TRUNKS ARE LOCATED AT CERTAIN POINTS TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION SIMILAR TO THAT OF EMERGING THROUGH THE FRINGES OF A FOREST CLEARING.

•SCREENING BY VERTICAL POLES HELP TO DIFFERENTIATE THE INTERLINKED SPACES.

BAKER HOUSE (1947-48)•THE SITE IS LOCATED ON A HEAVILY-TRAFFICKED STREET ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER. IN ORDER TO AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE DISTURBING VIEW OUT ONTO THIS STREET, A CURVING PLAN FORM WAS CHOSEN. •BY THIS MEANS, NO ROOM WAS ORIENTED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE STREET AND ITS TRAFFIC. IT IS WELL KNOWN HOW MUCH MORE TRANQUIL IT IS TO LOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM A DIAGONAL LINE OF SIGHT OUT OF THE WINDOWS OF A MOVING TRAIN AT THE PASSING LANDSCAPE.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURESSERPENTINE SHAPE: THE S-CURVE PLAN OF THE BUILDING INCREASES THE SURFACE AREA OF THE SOUTH (CHARLES RIVER)-FACING SIDE OF THE DORM. BECAUSE OF THIS SHAPE, APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE ROOMS HAVE A RIVER AND SKYLINE VIEW.BRICKS: THE WALLS AND FACADE OF BAKER ARE RED BRICK."MOON GARDEN": THE "MOON GARDEN" REFERS TO THE ROOF OF THE TWO-STORY DINING HALL, WHICH IS PUNCTUATED BY CYLINDRICAL SKYLIGHTS.FIREPLACE: THE LARGE FIREPLACE IS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE FIRST FLOOR GATHERING AREA.ROOFDECK: A GREAT PLACE TO VIEW THE BOSTON SKYLINE, WATCH THE JULY 4TH FIREWORKS, AND DROP A PIANO FROM.WEST LOUNGES: THE LARGEST AND LIVELIEST LOUNGES ON EACH FLOOR ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DORM, NEAR TO MOST OF THE DOUBLES, TRIPLES, AND QUADS.

PLAN ISOMETRIC VIEW