Press Release
The Icon of Finnish Design
is Born Every Day
Alvar Aalto designed his famous collection of free-blown glass objects
for a competition organised by Iittala in 1936. In the course of several
decades the collection, especially the 160mm vase, has become an
international icon of Finnish design. Each vase is mouth-blown and
hand-crafted at the Iittala glassworks in Finland.
Glassblowing begins with a round ball from
the molten glass, which is why symmetry is
typical in glass design. Alvar Aalto wanted to
‘free’ glass from geometric form and create
an impression of organic, living forms. And
so it was that the famous undulating lines of
the Alvar Aalto Collection were born. It emphasizes the reflections of the glass and the
form makes it come alive in the eyes of the
beholder.
The Aalto vase collection was created in
various shapes, sizes and colours in 1936. It
was first presented to the public a year later
at the Paris World Fair. It is hard to imagine
today the waves Alvar Aalto’s vases caused
in that time. He touched on something special when he created the simplified and free
form which leaves the end user to decide
the possibilities of the combinations and
purpose of the object.
There are various interpretations of Aalto’s
original idea for the free form of glass; for
many, the shapes represent the thousands
of lakes in Finland, with their winding shorelines. Being a playful person, Aalto perhaps
wanted to confuse the interpreters by naming his competition entry ‘Eskimo woman’s
leather trousers’. As to whether this code
name was based on a true design idea or
was merely a fun play with words, supposedly no-one knows.
Appreciated craftmanship
Craftsmanship forms the basis of all Aalto
vases, which are mouth blown every day at
Iittala, Finland. It takes 7 craftsmen, 12 work
stages, 1100 °C and 30 hours to make a
single Aalto vase. The skilful craftsmen of the
Iittala glass factory have dedicated themselves to keeping tradition alive; every single
Aalto vase is individually made.
The products in the Alvar Aalto Collection
have always been highly popular gift items.
The wide range of forms and colours has
provided even the most demanding gift giver
with plenty of choices. When you give
someone an Aalto product, you can be sure
that the gift will hold its value for a lifetime. In
fact, it is often passed on to the next generation.
Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) is one of the greatest names in modern architecture and design. He was born in Kuortane, Finland and
created his own unique style inspired by
Finnish nature.
Alvar Aalto has stated: “Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form.” The starting point
for Aalto’s architecture was in functionalism.
However, he went on to develop his own
unique style, which combined rational architecture with a vividly organic idiom.
Aalto’s approach to design included a deeply human aspect: the design was based on
humans and their needs. No wonder then
that the buildings Aalto designed have a
casual, homey feel and that his glass objects
radiate warmth.
“Form is a mystery that eludes definition but
that gives people a sense of well-being.”
Product information
Alvar Aalto vase 160 mm
Clear, Flaming red, Dark lilac, Light
blue, Water green, White, White
frosted, Salmon pink, Apple green
Alvar Aalto vase 120 mm
Clear, Apple green, Dark lilac, Light
blue, White, Water green, Salmon
pink
Alvar Aalto vase 95 mm
Clear, Apple green, Dark lilac, Light
blue, Water green, White, Salmon
pink
Alvar Aalto vase 50 x 95 mm
Clear, Dark lilac, Light blue, White
Alvar Aalto vase 201 mm
Clear, White, Salmon pink
Alvar Aalto miniature vase 55 mm
Clear, White
Alvar Aalto vase 40 x 136 mm
Clear
Alvar Aalto vase 251 mm
Clear, White, Salmon pink
Alvar Aalto vase 200 mm
Clear, White
Alvar Aalto vase 255 mm
Clear, Salmon pink
Alvar Aalto vase 400 mm
Clear
Alvar Aalto vase 600 mm
Clear
Alvar Aalto bowl 380 mm
White, Clear
Alvar Aalto flower set
Clear
Alvar Aalto bowl 30 x 98 mm
Clear
Inspired by Aalto products complement the glass collection.
Further Information:
Siru Nori | PR Manager
Tel. +358 204 39 5611| GSM +358 40 550 3087
Siru. [email protected]
www.iittala.com
Iittala is a brand registered by Fiskars Group.