The Alvar Aalto Guide

Alvar Aalto, the Finnish-born, influential protagonist of the Modern Movement, is internationally renowned for his elegant manipulation of form, light, and material, as well as his rich synthesis of vernacular, historical, and organic references.

The Alvar Aalto Guide showcases over 100 of Aalto's built works, which are located throughout Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States.

The numerous photographs and plans of each project are accompanied by Michael Trencher's detailed texts. Trencher, a professor of architecture at Pratt Institute, is a noted Aalto scholar. Among the buildings he presents are Turun Sanomat Office Building, Syntsalo Town Hall, Villa Mairea, Finlandia Hall, and Baker Dormitory at MIT.

Like all the guidebooks in our series, The Alvar Aalto Guide contains practical as well as historical and descriptive material. Heavily illustrated, the guide provides maps, directions, addresses, references for further reading, and resources for architectural touring in Finland. Additionally, it is prefaced by a trio of texts: an overview of Aalto's youth, education, and professional years; an informative essay on Finland's cultural history; and a fascinating introduction, entitled 'Decoding Aalto.' Together, Trencher's three essays form an essential and instructive lesson on Aalto's aesthetic and its influence on modern design.