The Paimio Sanatorium was opened in the municipality of Paimio close to the city of Turku in 1933. The building complex has been considered the manifesto of Finnish functionalism and the main work of Alvar Aalto’s rationalist period.
This book is the 5th volume in the outstanding Alvar Aalto Architect monograph series published by the Alvar Aalto Foundation. The beautifully designed, comprehensive volume gives the reader a historical tour in the Paimio Sanatorium building complex. The expert articles, selected drawings from the Alvar Aalto Museum and both historical and up-to-date photographs cover the genesis of its architecture from Aalto’s unique furniture to Aalto’s functionalist take on modern hospital architecture. The articles discuss Aalto’s basic architectural ideas, the furniture and interior design solutions, the repairs and modifications of the building complex, and thehistory of tuberculosis treatment in Finland and Europe.
Alvar Aalto’s architecture in the Paimio Sanatorium has received international attention since the 1930s. The building complex has been included in the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites since 2004. In 2016, the Alvar Aalto Foundation completed a Paimio Sanatorium Conservation Management Plan (CMP) with the support of the Getty Foundation Keeping It Modern initiative, and the restoration grant awarded by the National Board of Antiquities in Finland. Marianna Heikinheimo’s doctoral dissertation Architecture and Technology: Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium (2016) adds to the existing body of research about this remarkable building.
