Alvar Aalto: Points of Contact

19 October - 8 December 1996 in the Entire Gallery

From Finland comes an exhibition on Alvar Aalto, who as a young designer stunned the international architecture community with his 1928 Functionalist design for the Paimio Sanatorium.

From this promising beginning, Alvar Aalto’s reputation as one of the leading exponents of Modernism was quickly established. In 1996, twenty years after his death, Alvar Aalto remains one of the seminal and most unique figures in the history of twentieth century architecture.

The exhibition Points of Contact opens with Aalto’s celebrated Sanatorium, and explores in detail Aalto’s principal architectural works from the Villa Mairea, (1937-39) which reflects his rejection of Functionalism in favour of a new architectural adventure combining his favourite elements of Modernism with indigenous primitiveness, to the Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-74), which now houses the architect’s legacy.

In order to give greater insight into Aalto’s comprehensive approach to design, Points of Contact includes examples of the architect’s object design, the highlight of which is a range of chairs and glassware.

Toured by the Finnish Tourist Board with assistance from the Embassy of Finland to New Zealand