• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.13-22
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze Alva Aalto's libraries for understanding his efficient induction of natural light. To fulfill this purpose, Alvar Aalto's thought about library and natural light are examined through his working years and building types. The comparison of his libraries on usage of natural light shows different ways of natural light induction based on different locations and programs of libraries. Similarities and differences of Alvar Aalto's library architecture have strong relationship to the usage of natural light in libraries because Alvar Aalto himself regard reading as the core function of library and the efficient use of natural light is the main key of reading. In his natural light planning, regional characteristics including environmental factors and programmatic differences act as a basic standard for natural light plan. Especially, altitude of sun and its path, seasonal features affect the induction way of natural light. While conical skylights used at Viipuri library shows the characteristics of universality in Modernism architecture, later libraries presents not only various kinds of pan-shape plan but different ways of inducing natural light in according to appropriate function. From conical skylight to monitor with curved reflection wall make it possible shed diffused light to reading space and this affects to form Alvar Aalto's organic architecture. As a result, using natural light in Alvar Aalto's library architecture act as the core of forming library concepts and their development.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.15 no.4 s.57
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• pp.55-63
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of the church architecture by Alvar Aalto. General features of Aalto's architecture are the result of accommodating Modern architecture with regional qualities of Finland. The church would be the best example for understanding his architecture because he designed most of his churches in the prime of life. He established architectural types in his 30s through Viipuri public library and Saynatsalo town hall. He developed these types and applied them to his whole design. His type acts as a principle of configuration of his church architecture rather than a copy of form and shows the characteristics in the field of building layout, dynamic space and the effective use of light. Therefore, Aalto's church architecture can be recognized as the representative of Modern Finnish architecture in that they developed the meaning of their specific context including site, region and cultural tradition without losing the concept and technology of Modern architecture.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.67-83
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• 2010

The purpose of this research is to rethink Alvar Aalto's architecture on the basis of the aesthetic concept of play. This attempt is valid because he had asserted the importance of play in his design. But more fundamentally, his critical view of the instrumentalised rationalism implied the idea that a human being is "Man the Player" as well as "Man the Thinker", of which theory was elaborated in Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens (1938). Premised on it, this paper investigated the evolution of the play idea in aesthetics and located Aalto's concept within the map. Summing up, his play was an intuitively grasped desire opposed to a rational requirement, which leads to a dialectical synthesis. This schema is similar to that of Schiller, in which Spiel reconciles the reason and the sense. However, Aalto's play could be differentiated into the "astonishingly rational" and "a jest", each of which roughly corresponds to the Spieltrieb (play impulse) and the sinnliche Trieb (sensuous impulse) in Schiller's thinking. On the other hand, Aalto's architecture illustrates play that could be interpreted as the overflow of surplus energy. This play is the very concept that can bridge the gap in the form-function formula of modern architecture. Aalto's play idea seemed to basically originate from his personality but its value must be confirmed by the Finnish litterateur Yrjo Hirn as Aalto mentioned in his statements (1953 & 1972). It appears that Aalto's play concept was materialised in architecture through his typical design language, such as the undulating wall, the aperspective space, the imitation of nature and the collage of heterogenous elements. However, we should be careful not to reductively analyse the application of play in practise. As Huizinga's comprehensive theory suggests, the play element exists in any cultural areas including any architectural activities. In conclusion, this paper argues that Alvar Aalto the Homo Ludens presented the possibility of critical rationalism in modern architecture by imbuing dry modernism with "the life enhancing charm" of "the art of play".

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.33-41
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• 2010

This study aims to analyze the typological characteristics of Alvar Aalto's library design. The unique characteristics of Aalto's architecture are the result of accommodating Modern architecture with regional qualities of Finland. Besides this, Aalto's typological approach in design made his color. The library might be the best example for understanding his design approach in that he showed 3 main features of type; wholeness, self-control and transformation. He established architectural types in his 30s through Viipuri public library and developed so-called fan type library plan. Aalto's library type is not a simple copy of exterior and interior form. It acts as a principle of configuration of his library architecture and applied to the building. Therefore, Aalto's library architecture can be recognized as the results of typological design approach in that it shows the transformation of type in according to factors including site, size, region and cultural tradition. In conclusion, Aalto's libraries reveal the typological characteristics in the field of building layout, dynamic space and the effective use of light.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.162-172
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• 2004

Architects and designers of the 20th Century made various efforts to establish new design languages reflecting the changes of society, the times, and environment. They used furniture, especially chairs, as controversial items of aesthetic value, society and ideology. Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto are furniture designers as well as architects, who adopted this ‘spirit of the times’ actively and have greatly contributed to modernism. This study will help us to understand the diversity of design since modernism, by comparing these two designers' furniture design. It also covers the common factors In modern furniture design, and analyses their individuality and likeness In design. The following is a comparison of furniture design by Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto. Le Courbusier linked International design and Aalto linked Rational design and Organic concept design to their furniture, just as they did in their architecture. They were able to establish the base of modern furniture design by adapting new concepts and pursuing humanism. In structure, Le Corbusier's furniture Is simple and proportional. It demonstrates a sophisticated geometric composition, mechanical beauty. On the other hand, Aalto rationally linked nature with human requirements and his furniture is organic and in harmony with geometric structure. In function, Le Corbusier's furniture is standardized and prefabricated. He designed for the user so they could choose to use the furniture efficiently to suit their needs. In comparison with Le Corbusier, Aalto Invented the ‘Stacking Chair’ which allows a more effective use of space and reflected the structure of the human body to improve the user's comfort. In materials and techniques, Le Corbusier used new materials like metal or leather, and attempted new ways such as welding, prefabrication, and standardization for production. On the contrary, Alto mainly used birch, which is the traditional material in Finland, and tried new bent wood techniques and joining methods.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.126-134
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to recover historically disconnected regionality and to propose the meaning of regionality in the contemporary architecture. Plus, it is to analyze the expression elements of the regionality and to propose the regionality's sustainable value shown in the contemporary architecture. Range of research methods is as follows. First, it reviews and prospects for Research on the meaning of regionality. Second, it looks at the three different points of view; traditional, Regional, and cultural perspective on Regionality. Also, it extracts the elements of the expression, centered on regionalism projects shown in the modern architecture. Third, it studys the sustainability's meaning and the sustainable value appeared in the contemporary architecture. Fourth, it analysis case studies and the value regarding the application of critical regionalism, focusing on the work of Alvar Aalto architecture. In addition, it proposes the sustainable value regarding the expression centered on regionalism projects This study appears to present the meaning of regionality in the contemporary architecture, in order to recover historically disconnected regionality. In particular, the expression of regionality shown in the Alvar Aalto's architecture is made on the basis of local traditions, society and culture. And, Building forms and building materials to adapt to climate was provided as a unified relationship. This study looks forward to help seeking the various proposals and guide for the applicability and the sustainabe development of the regionality in the contemporary architecture.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.121-132
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the meaning of architectural space of Alvar Aalto, which is based on architectural theories of periodic flows and the form of the space with the various elements applied to the works. Method: It analyzes the interrelationships of light, form and material in triangular composition by synthesizing the architectural vocabulary of Alvar Aalto from the viewpoint of modernism. Results: The architectural works of Alvar Aalto are centered on the combination of light, form, material, and space diversity, emphasizing social awareness and linking the human scale with the building environment. Conclusion: The structure of the Alvar Aalto is a synonym of nature and culture, society and individuals, standardization and diversity, universality and locality, intellectual and emotional, scientific and human psychological. It is possible to apply reciprocity elements to architectural spaces in a comprehensive manner while being different from each other in terms of rationality and immediacy.

• Korean Architects
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• no.7 s.148
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• pp.43-45
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• 1981

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2003

Modern design background of Scandinavia counts the Industrial Revolution and functionalism of Deustscher Werkbund and Bauhaus. However, Scandinavian has created their characteristic 'Scandinavian Modern Furniture' as an adaptation to their environment which are organic form based on their nature, affection of natural material, and handicraft tradition. Finish architect Alvar Aalto and Danish architect Arne Jacobsen rendered great contribution to worldwide reputation of Scandinavian furniture design. Both of them have hold tradition shared historically and culturally in common, brought the weighty traditional thoughts enable to develope their unique design. Especially they had continuous experiment of wood shaping and renovation of manufacturing technique so that they could made their chair design -the laminated bentwoods chair and moulded plywood chair- functionally comfortable. In point of view, the purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of the chair design of Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen, focusing un their bentwoods chair. For this purpose, the background of bentwoods chair design was investigated and in the philosophical, formative, and technical aspect, their bentwoods chair design were compared and analyzed.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2011

In Alvar Aalto's designs, important factors of complex building designs including Wolfsburg cultural center are that they insinuate how to develop each architectural type and how to combine them in a building. The humane and physical background studies, and wholistic and systematic approaches are adopted to fulfill research purposes. Comparison with other buildings are necessary to reveal true meaning of this building. The result of analysis show characteristics of Wolfsburg cultural center as follows; hybrid composition of mass and elevation, spatial effect using level difference and light, massing variation of roof, and creating space for various activities. Wolfsburg cultural center designed in late 1950s has greatly affected Aalto's later works through various architectural experiments because it is the first cultural complex project that combined various architectural types. Especially library in the cultural center has shown transitional characteristics to famous fan-type libraries of 1960s while maintained features about Viipuri library. Wolfsburg cultural center act as an another type which present new principles of clustering, massing and exterior design. Its true meaning lies in forming a humanizing place beyond spatial configuration.