| Alvar Aalto was born in Kuortane, Finland in 1908, | | | | several classic Aalto furniture (Aalto möbler) |
| and he lived until 1976. He was a renowned Finnish | | | | including tables, desks, side chairs, lounge chairs, |
| architect and designer of furniture. His studies led | | | | stools, armchairs and children's furniture. Alvar |
| him to architectural school in Helskini, where he | | | | Aalto designed his first lamps as a student in the |
| graduated in 1921. However, his career did not | | | | university of technology in Helsinki where he won |
| begin well in Helskini, and so he moved on to a | | | | a lighting competition in 1920. The name Aalto is |
| smaller town to start an office and begin his | | | | still highly regarded in the world of lighting and |
| career. | | | | lamps as he designed several classic lamp models |
| His wife, Aino, was originally hired as his assistant. | | | | that are considered as modern today as when he |
| She was a young woman who designed glass and | | | | designed them. |
| furniture. Later, they had two children. In the | | | | Before he even graduated, Alvar Aalto began |
| 1920's and 1930's, Alvar Aalto designed several | | | | designing his first furniture. Once in his new |
| well know landmarks in Finland. In the late 1940's, | | | | architecture office, he received a huge order to |
| he taught at MIT. Some of his most well known | | | | design furniture for six churches in Finland. He |
| furniture includes a variety of table designs and | | | | designed the well known Paimio Sanatorium in |
| lamps. | | | | 1929. He also designed each piece of furniture in |
| Alvar Aalto, Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and | | | | the structure, as well as the lamps. For each |
| Nils-Gustav Hahl founded a company named | | | | structure he designed, he also designed custom |
| Artek to design furniture. Alvar Aalto designed | | | | "Aalto tables" and other furniture for it. |