Alvar Aalto

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) was a Finnish architect and designer whose humanistic approach to modernism produced buildings, furniture, and glassware that brought warmth to the International Style. His revolutionary L-leg technique for bending solid birch wood enabled mass production of affordable, organic furniture through his company Artek, founded in 1935. Aalto's architecture and interiors for libraries, sanatoriums, and cultural centers demonstrated that modern design could serve human comfort and emotional wellbeing. Aalto's legacy in interior design centers on his ability to make modernism feel approachable and natural. His Stool 60, Savoy Vase, and bent-birch armchairs prove that simple, honest materials can produce profoundly beautiful objects. His insistence on natural light, organic forms, and tactile materials anticipated the biophilic design movement by decades. Today, Artek continues to produce his furniture, which remains as relevant and beloved in Scandinavian homes and public spaces as it was nearly a century ago.