To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Alvar Aalto, one of the most important figures in architectural history, this exhibition will showcase the extensive body of work he created with his two wives, Aino and Elissa. The Aaltos revolutionised the humanist aspect of modern architecture by grounding it in an organic connection to nature, producing countless designs in the process.

Between the two world wars, the Aaltos helped to create an identity for the young Finnish nation. They participated in the International Congresses of Modern Architecture and the Paris and New York exhibitions and designed masterpieces such as the Viipuri Library (now in Russia), Villa Mairea in Finland, Baker House in the United States and Maison Carré in France. Following the introduction of antibiotics, their Paimio Sanatorium set an example to the world by demonstrating how spaces could be made healthier and more accessible, through studies of solar incidence, natural ventilation and silent washbasins. Sanatorium is one of the thirteen Aalto-designed projects currently proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The book accompanying the exhibition features a preface by António Choupina, director of the Architecture Department at the Serralves Foundation and curator of the exhibition, and Jukka Savolainen, director of the Alvar Aalto Museum. It also includes contributions from architect Álvaro Siza and Juhani Pallasmaa, architect, professor emeritus at Aalto University, Helsinki, and writer.