Alvar Aalto est une des figures les plus importantes du design et de l'architecture du 20ème siècle. Il a créé son propre style en s'inspirant de l'homme et de la nature. Aalto pensait que le bon design devait faire partie du quotidien et a créé, dans ce sens, des produits aux multiples utilisations, sensibles, et qui améliorent la vie quotidienne. Il n'a jamais indiqué comment ses objets en verre devaient être utilisés, souhaitant que l'utilisateur décide lui-même de sa fonctionnalité. Les formes ondulantes, fluides et organiques des objets de cette collection rappellent les milliers de lacs qui rythment le paysage finlandais. Les souffleurs de verre du fabricant Iittala réalisent toujours à la main ces vases légendaires à la beauté sereine. Le vase Aalto est disponible en plusieurs hauteurs et se décline en plusieurs couleurs. Depuis sa présentation en 1937 à l'Exposition Universelle de Paris, la collection Aalto est devenue un véritable chef d'œuvre.
Born in Kuortane in 1898, Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto is Finland's most famous architect, town planner and designer, and one of the pioneers of organic design. After studying architecture at the Technical University of Helsinki, he organised exhibitions and travelled around Europe, from Italy to Scandinavia. In 1923, he opened his own architectural practice in Jyväskylä and married Aino Marsio, who soon became his closest collaborator. In 1935, the Aalto couple founded the Artek company. Plywood and glass are his materials of choice for a design that is both functional and seductive, with organic forms. A prolific and innovative designer, his creations are recognised the world over, from the Tea Trolley to the Pendant Lamp luminaires, not forgetting the chairs with their L-shaped legs, which allow the foot to be attached directly to the tabletop and which he called "the little column". Alvar Aalto drew inspiration from nature and abstraction to create his designs, using innovative techniques and natural materials. These products had to satisfy his demand for quality and durability, so that they would symbolise "the modern culture of the home". His studies enabled him to create buildings for which he designed the furniture himself. In 1952, he remarried the architect Elissa Mäkiniemi, with whom he worked until her death in 1976.
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IITTALA
Iittala is an internationally renowned Finnish brand specialised in tableware and everyday accessories. Inspired by mankind and nature, Ittala creates typically Nordic and timeless pieces. Ittala is a benchmark for Finnish design, whose philosophy is based on functionality, beautiful design and high levels of quality. Iittala collaborated with Alvar Aalto for his iconic "Aalto" collection of vases, cups and other objects. Iittala uses its know-how to create glassware and porcelain infused with a sleek and understated Scandinavian touch.