Aalto's House, Riihitie, Helsinki

Below are a few images of Alvar Aalto's house in Riihitie, just outside of Helsinki, which I visited as part of a month-long trip to Scandinavia this summer. In 1936, Aalto and his wife, Aino, designed Riihitie as both office and home, until his studio became too big and moved down the road to Tiilimaki. The house has often been called the predecessor of Villa Mairea, but on a smaller scale, with more intimate office and residential spaces. 

Images: My own

Aalto Studio, Tiilimaki, Helsinki

Whilst in Finland, my friend and I paid a trip to Aalto's Studio on Tiilimaki, a short tram ride out of the city to suburban Helsinki. Aalto designed the office in 1955, down the road from his own house on Riihitie, when his previous studio became too small for his architecture company. The white rendered building, which was used as his office until his death in 1976, curves around to form a landscaped amphitheatre. This was sometimes used by his students and employees to watch slideshows and lectures. Once inside, we were shown around the main light-filled office space, that made the best use of Finland's dark and cold winters. The main interior space however, was the curving atelier, where Aalto used to like to draw himself, on a low table. Aalto designed this room to create the perfect environment for examining drawings and models; he even created a small upper level in order to hang prototypes of light fittings. 

Images: my own

Academic Bookshop, Helsinki by Alvar Aalto

On the central esplanade of Helsinki, lies the Academic Bookshop, designed by Finland's most well-known architect, Alvar Aalto. Designed for a competition in 1962, the three storey shop features austere grey marble balconies and geometric skylights, which hang into the interior courtyard, lighting and imposing the bookshop. 

Photos: My own