100 years of Elissa Aalto
Earlier this month, our E-commerce Website Editor Emily was lucky enough to visit Alvar and Elissa Aalto’s house in Helsinki, Finland.
Recognised as one of the greatest Finnish designers and architects, Alvar Aalto created buildings that healed, furniture that inspired and was one of the founders of the global design brand, Artek. However, he couldn’t have achieved what he did without the support of a talented group of people, one of whom was his wife, Elissa.
Join our E-commerce Website Editor Emily as she talks us through what made the often-overlooked Elissa Aalto so special…
“After a recent trip to Helsinki, Finland, I began to realise that Elissa Aalto was somebody whom I didn’t know too much about. The second wife of Alvar Aalto, she was a celebrated architect and her life and works became somewhat intriguing to me.
Celebrating her centenary year this November, I decided to delve deeper into her role at Alvar’s architectural practice where she worked alongside him for many years, subsequently taking over as director after his death, until 1994.
The Aalto House
Hidden amongst the trees in the quiet Munkkiniemi suburb, the home and initial studio of Alvar and Elissa Alto is a humble and unassuming one, easily overlooked by passers-by. Lucky enough to take a private tour of the pair’s home and studio I was struck by the importance of Elissa in Alvar’s personal and professional life. She dedicated herself to the completion of many of Aalto’s unfinished projects and playing an instrumental role in starting up the Alvar Aalto Foundation, which is tasked with the upkeep of Aalto’s architectural legacy today.
Formerly known as Elsa-Kaisa Mäkiniemi, Elissa, a talented graduate of the Helsinki University of Technology, commenced work at Aalto’s architect’s office in 1949, rising to prominence throughout her time there. A leading contributor and manager of several competitions, she found herself working on sizeable public commissions and several major building projects, including the Säynätsalo Town Hall and the Maison Louis Carré.
An architect in her own right, Elissa created several independent designs as well as notable surface textile patterns, like the H55 featured in the Artek range. Although her contributions regularly remain in Alvar’s shadow, her experimental yet influential style shaped her as a key (yet often overlooked) figure in the modernist movement.
The Aalto Studio
Behind a brilliant-white facade sat the second Aalto Studio, a strikingly simple design, convex in shape. It was here that Elissa’s presence could be felt the most – her designs were intertwined with his, providing an intimate insight into the couple’s life and work. Much more integral to the Alto legacy than I had first realised, I couldn’t help but imagine her there, a master in her field and a skilled advocate of Alvar’s ideas.
Implementing Aalto’s architecture designs and tending to his intellectual heritage after his death formed Elissa Aalto’s major life’s work. She tirelessly pursued the conservation of his buildings and the preservation of his office’s drawing and document collection. It was upon Elissa’s initiative that Studio Aalto was sold to the Alvar Aalto Foundation in 1984, allowing it to become a celebration of Finland’s most prominent architects and a Mecca for design enthusiasts to visit from all over the world.”
More about Artek
A company that crosses the boundaries between design, architecture, and art – Artek has been creating functional, modern design since 1935. It was founded in Helsinki by four young idealists; Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl who all had a desire to ‘promote a modern culture of living’. Today, Artek remains an innovative player in the world of modern design, continuing to develop new products with some of the world’s best designers.
Artek continues to manufacture many of Aalto’s design in their factory in Finland. Using locally sourced Finnish birch, the company combine modern production methods with expert hand-craftsmanship to sustainably manufacture furniture, lighting, and accessories of only the highest quality.
Do you own an Aalto icon? Show us your favourite Artek furniture designs through Instagram or Twitter by tagging us @nest_co_uk.
Words: Emily Dryden
Images: Artek & Emily Dryden
