Alvar Aalto Professions : Architect Born : February 3, 1898 Died : May 11, 1976 Browse All Authors Top 30 quotes by Alvar Aalto Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art. Alvar Aalto splits design art Form must have a content, and that content must be linked with nature. Alvar Aalto linked form Human life is a combination of tragedy and comedy. The shapes and designs that surround us are the music accompanying this tragedy and this comedy. Alvar Aalto design shapes tragedy The ultimate goal of the architect...is to create a paradise. Every house, every product of architecture... should be a fruit of our endeavour to build an earthly paradise for people. Alvar Aalto goal house people Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form. Alvar Aalto harmony form purpose Building art is a synthesis of life in materialised form. We should try to bring in under the same hat not a splintered way of thinking, but all in harmony together. Alvar Aalto hate art thinking We should work for simple, good, undecorated things, but things which are in harmony with the human being and organically suited to the little man in the street. Alvar Aalto simple littles men Modern architecture does not mean the use of immature new materials; the main thing is to refine materials in a more human direction. Alvar Aalto immature doe mean God created paper for the purpose of drawing architecture on it. Everything else is at least for me an abuse of paper. Alvar Aalto abuse drawing purpose Objects are made to be completed by the human mind. Alvar Aalto humans made mind I tell you, it is easier to build a grand opera or a city center than to build a personal house. Alvar Aalto opera cities house True architecture exists only where man stands in the center. Alvar Aalto architecture men Nothing old is ever reborn, but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been [born], will always reappear in a new form. Alvar Aalto disappear form doe Architecture belongs to culture, not to civilization. Alvar Aalto architecture civilization culture The very essence of architecture consists of a variety and development reminiscent of natural organic life. This is the only true style in architecture Alvar Aalto style development essence We have almost a city has probably two or three hundred committees. Every committee is dealing with just one problem and has nothing to do with the other problems. Alvar Aalto three cities two In almost every task involving form, there are dozens, often hundreds of contradictory elements, which need to be forced to work in harmony by man's will. This harmony can be acheived only through art. Alvar Aalto tasks men art Even the smallest daily chore can be humanized with the harmony of culture. Alvar Aalto chores harmony culture The best standardisation committee in the world is nature herself, but in nature standardisation occurs mainly in connection with the smallest possible units: cells. The result is millions of flexible combinations in which one never encounters the stereotyped. Alvar Aalto encounters connections cells The most difficult problems are naturally not involved in the search for forms for contemporary life. It is a question of working our way to forms behind which real human values lie. Alvar Aalto real lying way Similar Authors Ben van Berkel architect Bruno Zevi architect Bruno Freschi architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin architect Arthur Erickson architect Arne Jacobsen architect All Authors
