Aalto

Alvar Aalto's Savoy Vase (1936) “Between Humanism and Materialism”

- What does this vase mean to me? As we approach the end of the twentieth century, it is seems that it is easy to forget and not realize that modern architecture was born in the aftermath of the First World War. A related, but different, impulse was apparent in the Nordic countries in the early 1920’s, where architects started to use supposedly timeless values, such as minimal ornament, clarity of form and elegant proportions. On the Continent there was an urge towards exploration and innovation, to exploit new building materials and match the industrial achievements of the day, for example cars and airplanes. In Northern Europe, Scandinavia, it was to reconnect with the mainstream of Western culture - as a favourite saying of the time had it, to 'bring grapes to the rowan peoples', and the style, naturally, was Classical. Since the of the Aalto unveiling at the Paris World's Fair in 1937, the vase has been an international sensation. Although it was originally made in 1937, and named after the Savoy restaurant in Aalto's hometown of Helsinki, Finland, its puzzling and mysterious shape has been the subject of some major speculations; some may say that the vase is based on Aalto's sketches named "The Eskimo Woman's Leather Breeches." Others argue that the fluid shape could be inspired by the lines of the Finnish landscapes. The word aalto means "wave" in Finnish, and in the 1930s Alvar Aalto captured the everlasting wave in his famous, and ever-classic series of vases. With a personal, sensual and flowing form, it seems like they imitate the water they hold. As one of the main founding fathers of organic and structured design, it is said that his inspiration for the vase came from the shorelines of Finland's fjords. But, regardless of its questionable origins, one thing remains indisputable: its serene beauty and cultural impact on its society at its time and today. The curves and moving lines in the vases and dishes, as mentioned before, have often been seen to represent the featured shapes of the Finnish landscape with its countless amounts of lakes. Finland is known as “The Land of thousands of lakes”. Another possible inspiration has been argued to derive from the lines of the section cut through a tree where its roots branch. Critics have also pointed to the fact that the "organic" theme of his designs could already be found in Eliel Saarinen’s Art Nouveau designs, one of the most crucial Finnish architects before Aalto. In addition, a series shallow dishes and free-form vases made in the year of 1935 by the famous Swedish glasswork at Orrefors have been quoted as the main source of influence. Aalto, himself, is said to have claimed that the lines of this vase depicted the shape of a puddle. Today's design has lost something from the past. Throughout the centuries, we have been trying to redesign or revise past traditions. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is no anomaly to this norm. He reshaped ancient Greek designs and aspirations to his Finnish climate and culture. This is called Nordic Classicism. In addition, his tectonic examples of work bring the simplicity of design to the subject it is designed for the human being (Quantrill, Malcom) and the surface on which it sits, its the surrounding environment, while still respecting the intentions of the client. As we enter into the future, will his beliefs and ides disappear into the past? Will he be forgotten when his designs disappear? Splitting past ties could be the solution to gain respect for Finland’s newly built environment, but his examples contain one critical component to ensure our Finns cultural survival: he never failed to remember the people. Has our recent struggle with modernism to leave the past behind separated us from our roots, thereby also separating us from our people? How can we become modern while keeping a foot in the past? Alvar Aalto once said, "We need [designers] to have monumental force that gives man hope, confidence, and self-discipline - we need it to have social awareness and compassion for the human tragedy. Architecture must be deeply rooted in place and circumstance; it requires a delicate sense of form; it must support human emotions."3 Hopefully his dedication and passion for the built environment and its nature, and his utmost sincere concern for people, will survive in the future designs influenced by his earlier actions. Although the production has changed somewhat, the vases are still to this day individually hand-blown by Iittala, the Finnish company. The first models were made from re-cycled glass, which made them appear greenish colour. They were also blown round a wooden template, which made them have an uneven texture.