Alvar Aalto, the Finnish Architect’s Magnificent design of Finlandia Hall
As righteously quoted by Alvar Aalto – “Architecture belongs to culture, not civilization”. So do his buildings significantly belong to culture? So, they portray the interrelation of spaces with the lifestyle of people. And one of the finest examples is the magnificent Finlandia Hall he designed. In this article, you can have a glimpse of the amazing architectural features of Finlandia Hall, Alvar Aalto’s design approach & collaboration of materials used in construction.
Finlandia Hall is a musical and convention facility in Helsinki, Finland. Alvar Aalto, the well-known Finnish architect, designed this magnificent project in 1971. Finlandia Venue officially launched in December 1971. Originally design for a conference wing started before the completion of the core wing; the congressional section was operational as soon as 1975. The intention was to enhance conditions for workers for seminars, which are a critical component of the facility’s utilization.
Design Principles- Alvar Aalto
As an inspiration for us as young Architects, Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect. Although he never considered himself a creative artisan, his work includes architecture, furniture, fabrics, & ceramics, in addition to the artwork. His early career parallels Finland’s tremendous economic development and urbanization. Moreover, the Finnish designer and architect pushed the idea of positive expression with biomorphic as sources for vegetative design and building while being conceptually and technically contemporary. His aesthetic reflects both charming and provincial. He utilized complicated shapes and alloys, respected the characteristics of the location, and paid close consideration to each aspect of the construction.
He created a worldwide name, including over 200 projects ranging from industries to cathedrals. An examination of his work reveals a progression from simple neoclassicism to functional vintage. He eschewed contemporary modernity in Favor of a more subtle design.
Architect Alvar Aalto’s forte was to combine architecture with interior decoration frequently. He is notable as the inventor of furniture that bends, a modern and practical idea that has a lot of other implications. Charles and Ray Eames adopted the concept of molded hardwood and developed the renowned plastic molded chair, just as Alvar Aalto translated Breuer’s twisted metals into bending wood. He created a breakthrough design for furnishings out of laminating twisted chipboard. His stools have simple shapes featuring twisted webbed feet for sturdiness, endurance, and impact on the capacity.
Features of “The Finlandia Hall” by Alvar Aalto
Aalto’s earliest designs were flexibly neither sketched, with really no usage of T-squares nor triangular, allowing for just an unrestricted imaginative impulse for novel designs.
The city of Helsinki engaged Aalto to create a performance and conference hall. Indeed, the initial designs reveal the key features of the correct approach. Notably, noticeable changes involve the performing arts hall, which was initially supposed to rise well above basic building structures such as the primary theatre.
Design & Planning by Alvar Aalto
The best location and orientation of the hall are appropriate in terms of the visionary utilization of the building. Along with this, the positioning of the structure of the hall is at the center of Helsinki. The location of its opening is south of the city, downtown. Additionally, the design of the Finlandia Hall is exclusively according to Aalto’s central plan, with its primary architectural style facing the proposed Patio Plaza as well as the vehicle doorway on the bottom threshold. And The very next layer, or gateway level, highlights the great hall and includes cloakrooms as well as other amenities, as well as gates leading directly onto Hesperia Park. Additional stairs connect the major vestibule towards the exhibition balcony hall as well as the entrances to the great auditorium’s balconies.
The structure was meant to be responsive to many kinds of occasions. Its main hall can hold up to 1,700 spectators and is suitable for performances, conventions, as well as other gatherings. Additionally, there are a handful of smaller conference & display facilities.
Material & Construction
The distinguishable is the building’s façade by its white Carrara marble & unusual, curved roof. And the rooftop is built out of rippling tides, giving the structure a distinct aspect. The depiction of Complex’s structure is through minimalism and futuristic appearance. Significantly, the hallway has a staging that changes to different elevations, as well as a cutting-edge speaker system. The western façade of the wings includes windows and curved, concave deep valleys to support a few of the plants existing just on site – also to breathe power to the front. Furthermore, the small classical music area accommodates 350 people and therefore, with a changeable umbrella acoustical screening suspended from the ceiling.
Conclusion
“Our time is so specialized that we have people who know more and more or less and less.”- Alvar Aalto. This signifies the motive to design better & better. Furthermore, the design of the museum involved all the essential aspects of functionality & aesthetics. As the main hall’s noise levels are a crucial design factor. To create a space with both the best acoustics during musical acts, Aalto joined forces alongside acousticians. According to the sustainability aspect, the construction of the structure incorporated features like a district heater and resource illumination. Ultimately, Finlandia Hall is a magnificent instance of modernist architecture and a perfect representation of Alvar Aalto’s imaginative minimalist style.
By Srajati Tiwari
A young and enthusiastic learner who enjoys experimenting with the complexity of architecture in light of the evolving environment and the way society functions, while also being mindful of the sustainability aspect and the history of the specific area or build. I think that words and architecture assist individuals in expressing their deepest selves & aim to calm curiosity with a pen and tame the endless why’s and hows through a research method followed with meticulous attention to detail.
