It is near-impossible to talk about Finnish architecture without touching on the work of modernist Alvar Aalto. His design for Finlandia Hall, a large concert and congress venue in Helsinki’s Töölö Bay, was built in 1971. It has since become a landmark, not only for its architect’s oeuvre but also for the city and Finland’s wider cultural scene. When Aalto conceived this public project in the early 1960s, it was part of a wider masterplan of its bay area.
Most of it never materialised, but the hall did, clad in marble, inspired by Venetian Palaces and the ancient architecture of Italy and Greece - coupled with the boldness and futuristic outlook of its modernist architecture genre. The architect’s knack for blending functionalism with a human-centred approach, his specific take on organic design, shines through the building, which sits by the water, gentle yet majestic.
