Alvar Aalto 1898-1976
Helsinki: The Museum of Finnish Architecture, 1978. Second Edition [stated], Presumed first printing thus. Wraps. The format is approximately 8.25 inches by 8.25 inches. 168 pages. Decorative front cover. Illustrations (some with color). Some illustrations on flimsies are part of the page count. Cover has slight wear and soiling. Name of previous owner in ink on title page. Statement that "This catalogue was issued in conjunction with the Retrospective Exhibition of the works of Alvar Aalto at Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Design. June 12-August 12, 1979. Alvar Aalto died on 11 May 1976. In 1978, the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki arranged a major exhibition of Aalto's works. This includes an appreciation by Goren Schildt. Aalto's international reputation was sealed with his inclusion in the second edition of Sigfried Giedion's influential book on Modernist architecture, Space, Time and Architecture: The growth of a new tradition (1949), in which Aalto received more attention than any other Modernist architect, including Le Corbusier. In his analysis of Aalto, Giedion gave primacy to qualities that depart from direct functionality, such as mood, atmosphere, intensity of life and even national characteristics, declaring that "Finland is with Aalto wherever he goes." Aalto wrote: "God created paper for the purpose of drawing architecture on it. Everything else is at least for me an abuse of paper." [Sketches, 1978]. More