The exhibition Alvar Aalto & Spanish Contemporary Architecture – at Finlandia Hall from October 7 – shows how Alvar Aalto’s design has influenced contemporary Spanish architecture. It offers a range of views on the architecture of the two countries and shared themes. The exhibition was opened by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain on their state visit to Finland.

In 1951, Alvar Aalto was invited by the College of Architects of Catalonia to give a series of lectures in Madrid and Barcelona. During his stay, Aalto drew the landscapes of inland Spain, became interested in vernacular culture, and left a significant impact that endures to this day.

To commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of this historic visit and the recent incorporation of thirteen buildings by de Alvar Aalto, Aino Marsio-Aalto y Elissa Aalto onto the UNESCO World Heritage List, the exhibition Alvar Aalto and Spanish Contemporary Architecture demonstrates how the excellence of Aalto’s buildings in terms of construction, form and space has been assimilated and interpreted in one of the most distant European countries from Finland.

“Alvar Aalto is an extraordinarily important figure for Spanish Architects, crossing at least three generations. The humanistic approach of Aalto´s projects, the importance of the community in them and his reflections on technology and mass culture remain very important not only in Spain, but in the values of the global society that we build”, says the Curator of the exhibition, Covadonga Blasco.

The exhibition is divided into three parts: the first displays documentary material relating to the architect’s trips to Spain; the second presents, through models, photographs and plans, a selection of works built by recent generations of Spanish architects in which the influence of Aalto’s principles and thinking can be appreciated; finally, the exhibition presents various projects located in Finland that have been undertaken by architects or studios based in Spain, highlighting the mutual influence that both cultures currently have on one another.

The seven buildings featured in the exhibition are designed by seven of the most prestigious Spanish architects and architectural practices of recent years: H Arquitectes, Rafael Moneo, Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Nieto Sobejano, Emilio Tuñón, FACTUM Foundation – Skene Catling de la Peña and Ángel Fernández Alba.

”In the exhibition, the visitor will be able to find a two-way path: the one that presents Spain through the eyes of Aalto – through the drawings he made on his first visit to the country – and a second route that permits to understand Aalto’s principles through seven projects built by Spanish architects or offices linked with Spain. It is a deep travel to the roots of both cultures’ values through architecture”, summarises Covadonga Blasco.

The exhibition is free of charge and open Mon–Fri at 10–18, Sat 11–18.

Alvar Aalto & Spanish Contemporary Architecture exhibition
Finlandia Hall 7.10.2026–10.1.2027

Alvar Aalto and Antoni de Moragas at the Bullring of Barcelona, 1951.

La casa de la lluvia, Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Santander, Spain, 1982. Photo Estudio Juan Navarro Baldeweg.