78% of Finlands surface area is covered by forest, this fact is the introduction to the text, which shows how important woodland is for people in Finland. It is a common building material due to its abundance as well as being one of the main sources of heat and furniture. I was aware of how important woodland is, but this text was very interesting and pushed my knowledge further allowing me to appreciate and acknowledge its uses further.
Finlands oldest wooden structures that are still standing date back to the seventeenth century, often called the Classical Tradition. I can see how Aalto was inspired and by nature and wood as it was an influence in the two where he grew up. His younger work shows the use of timber and many renovations of timber buildings.
As an Interior Architect it is important to look at the sustainability of the materials as well as the aesthetics, I believe like Aalto that the two should be able to work side by side.
The organic form was a strong influence in his designs, if reflected in the wood he used as well as the shapes and structure of his work. This is prominent in the lecture hall at the Viipuri Library, which features timber and highlights its versatile use and it’s properties. The national romantic style was adopted in Finland when architects such as Aalto began embracing the use of the natural world around them. ‘Black in colour, a beautiful soft black. Over the years a familiar tar has become darker, time has given it a wonderful patience’. We can grasp his love for natural materials, which stemmed from his upbringing and how he seen the aging of timber as a growing developing beauty rather than something tainted and old.
The links between geometry and the organic form, the diversity of nature and the use of timber in Aalto’s designs are apparent especially in the pavilions of the 1930’s. I can understand and appreciate the organic inspirations to his work and many other architects work within the modernist movement.
Isohauta, Teija. “The diversity of timber in Alvar Aalto's architecture: forests, shelter and safety”. Architectural Research quarterly. (December 2013) [electronic resource] (pp.269-280)
Photograph: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/31/alvar-aalto-viipuri-library-restoration-wins-2014-modernism-prize/
Finlands oldest wooden structures that are still standing date back to the seventeenth century, often called the Classical Tradition. I can see how Aalto was inspired and by nature and wood as it was an influence in the two where he grew up. His younger work shows the use of timber and many renovations of timber buildings.
As an Interior Architect it is important to look at the sustainability of the materials as well as the aesthetics, I believe like Aalto that the two should be able to work side by side.
The organic form was a strong influence in his designs, if reflected in the wood he used as well as the shapes and structure of his work. This is prominent in the lecture hall at the Viipuri Library, which features timber and highlights its versatile use and it’s properties. The national romantic style was adopted in Finland when architects such as Aalto began embracing the use of the natural world around them. ‘Black in colour, a beautiful soft black. Over the years a familiar tar has become darker, time has given it a wonderful patience’. We can grasp his love for natural materials, which stemmed from his upbringing and how he seen the aging of timber as a growing developing beauty rather than something tainted and old.
The links between geometry and the organic form, the diversity of nature and the use of timber in Aalto’s designs are apparent especially in the pavilions of the 1930’s. I can understand and appreciate the organic inspirations to his work and many other architects work within the modernist movement.
Isohauta, Teija. “The diversity of timber in Alvar Aalto's architecture: forests, shelter and safety”. Architectural Research quarterly. (December 2013) [electronic resource] (pp.269-280)
Photograph: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/31/alvar-aalto-viipuri-library-restoration-wins-2014-modernism-prize/