“HUMANISTIC MODERNISM” – WORKS BY ALVAR AALTO IN THE WORLD HERITAGE CONTEXT

Lahti, Finland

Seminar on Alvar Aalto and UNESCO World Heritage

The Alvar Aalto Foundation has launched discussion on the nomination and the selection of the Alvar Aalto designed sites following the National World Heritage Strategy 2015-2025.

To promote this project of nomination of Alvar Aalto’s sites, the Foundation organizes an international seminar from 9 to 10 October 2019 in Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland. A pre-seminar excursion includes a visit to the Paimio Sanatorium and to the Artek Furniture Factory.

The seminar introduces the questions of modern architectural sites from the point of view of the UNESCO World Heritage and reflects on Alvar Aalto’s work in this context.

There are two benchmarking cases for the UNESCO World Heritage: the architecture by Le Corbusier listed as 17 sites in 2016 and the nomation of 8 sites by Frank Lloyd Wright in 2019.

The role of the Finnish modernism in the development of the international 20th century architecture could be highlighted in a natural way by a number of buildings designed by Alvar Aalto and his office. His unique humanistic approach to the Modern architecture is undeniably a valuable phase of the International Modernism.

This international seminar discussing both the content and the nomination of the World Heritage Sites is a key to promote and contribute such a project. At the same time, it is possible to share valuable practical experiences from other successful World Heritage nominations and their representatives.

The seminar promotes the implementation of the National World Heritage Strategy and provides publicity for both Finnish modern architecture and the UNESCO World heritage.