A3030 Vase by Alvar Aalto for Itala, 1960s

The History of Alvar Aalto

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s concern for design as a total work of art or ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, made him passionate about both the exterior and interior of buildings. Alvar Aalto painted and sculpted as well as designing lamps, textiles, furniture and glassware. The Finnish War of Liberation interrupted Aalto's architecture studies at the Helsinki University of Technology. Nevertheless upon his return from service Aalto completed his studies and graduated in 1921. By 1923, Aalto opened his first architectural office in Jyväskylä called ‘Alvar Aalto, Architect and Monumental Artist’. In 1925, he married fellow architect Aino Marsio.

The Work of Alvar Aalto

The work of Alvar Aalto adopted many styles throughout his long career. His early work such as the Jyväskylä Worker’s Club in 1925 was influenced by Nordic Classicism while his 1930s designs are far more functional. This shift is exemplified by the Viipuri Library, the Turun Sanomat Building and the Paimio Sanatorium. From the 1940s onwards his work came to embrace a more organic modernist style including significant buildings such as the National Museum, Helsinki and the Finlandia Concert Hall. Following Aino’s death in 1949 Aalto married his assistant Elissa Mäkiniemi in 1952. She completed many of Aalto’s works after his death in 1976 including the Essen Opera House in Germany.

Alvar Aalto at PAMONO

In the late 1920s and 1930s Aalto designed many furniture and lighting pieces. He was the first designer to use the cantilever principle in the design of wooden chairs. Most notable of these is his Paimio Chair, from 1932. Aalto’s High Stool and Stool E60 manufactured by Artek are currently used to seat customers in the Apple Store. His furniture designs are wonderful examples of the Scandinavian modern aesthetic. Pamono’s curated collection includes many of Aalto’s designs including his infamous furniture and glassware. We at Pamono prioritise quality and authenticity. Rest assured our Alvar Aalto collection is comprised of authentic items from only the best dealers.

Historic Finnish glassworks company Iittala was founded by Swedish glassblower Petrus Magnus Abrahamsson in 1881 in a village of the same name. The company changed hands several times and struggled to survive through the turn of the 20th century and beyond. It wasn’t until the 1930s, after Iittala merged with the Karhula glass company, that Iittala began to build its international reputation for beautiful yet functionalist art glass.

In 1932, Finnish designer Göran Hongell joined Iittala. In the years leading up to World War II, Hongell brought in talented outside designers and glassblowers, initiated design competitions, modernized the facilities and collections, and, in 1937, separated Iittala from Karhula. Hereafter, Karhula took over automated glass production, and Iittala oncentrated only on fine, artisanal production.

Esteemed Finnish designers Alvar and Aino Aalto were among the first collaborators to create iconic glass designs for Iittala. Aino developed her utilitarian pressed glass Bölgeblick series—now called Aalto Glasses—in 1932, and Alvar created his undulating Savoy Vase, inspired by the lakes of Finland, in 1936.

In 1946, Iittala organized a competition calling for “contemporary” art glass designs, and Finnish design masters Tapio Wirkkala and Kaj Franck jointly won. They both, in time, contributed significant works to Iittala’s collections, such as Wirkkala’s highly sculptural Kantarelli Vases (1946). 

In 1950, another Finnish design master joined Iittala: Timo Sarpaneva. Not only did Sarpaneva design the Iittala logo, he contributed a number of glassware and art glass designs that continue to be collected today. Standouts include his Lansetti Vases (1952), Orkidea Vases (1953), the i-Collection (1956), Triennale Glasses (1956/57), and Finlandia Vase (1964). Sarpaneva’s glass designs played a key role in popularizing Scandinavian design in the postwar era, winning the Grand Prix at both the 1954 and 1957 Triennale di Milano. In 1956, US-based shelter magazine House Beautiful judged Sarpaneva’s Orkidea Vase to be “The Most Beautiful Object of the Year.”

Through the second half of the 20^th century, Iittala continued to set high standards of quality and innovation in glass production. In 1990, the company was acquired by the Hackman Group, and international designers such as Konstantin Grcic and Marc Newson were commissioned to create new collections. Since 1996, Finnish designer Harri Koskinen has worked in-house for Iittala. In 2007, Finnish scissors brand, Friskars Corporation, bought the Iittala Group; Fiskars Group also owns Arabia, Royal Copenhagen, Rörstrand, Waterford, and Wedgwood, among others.

* Special thanks to Iittala for images.