Aalto and Nature - Hardcover

by Tom Simons (Author), Rainer Knapas (Author)

Alvar
Aalto's work is strongly influenced by his experience of nature - especially in
the deep forests of his Finnish homeland. But he also visited the sites of
antiquity on several trips to the Mediterranean and the Orient.
This book
explores the dominant theme of nature in Aalto's work in a variety of ways. Interestingly
enough, it is little known that he also worked as a landscape architect and
created the garden for Villa Mairea together with the architecture as a Gesamtkunstwerk.

Richly
illustrated essays describe for example Aalto's garden art and the influences
of the Mediterranean landscape on Elissa, Aino and Alvar Aalto. The wonderful
photographs by Elina Brotherus, mostly taken especially for this book, show
Aalto's typical intertwining of interior and exterior spaces and convey the
magic of the Finnish landscape.

• A fresh look at the work of Elissa, Aino and Alvar Aalto
• With four series of photographs by
  renowned photographer Elina Brotherus
• With contributions by Tom Simons,
  Rainer Knapas, Vilhelm Helander, Johan Martelius and Teija Isohauta

Author Biography

Prof. Tom Simons, Landscape Architect and Professor emeritus at Aalto University School of Science and Technology (Finland)

Rainer Knapas, Finnish author