Sacred spaces: Community and Continuity in Aaltos’ Architecture

Name: Archinfo
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Maija Holma / Alvar Aalto Foundation

The Sacred spaces exhibition showcases the Aaltos’ design of sacred spaces through 3D model images. The exhibition also offers a glimpse into the Aaltos’ unbuilt ecclesiastical spaces.

The exhibition showcases 35 sacred spaces designed by Alvar, Aino, and Elissa Aalto, presented through detailed 3D drawings. Over the course of five decades, the Aaltos were involved in the renovation of seven historic churches, designed 11 built ecclesiastical structures, and conceptualized 17 unbuilt sacred spaces for communities in various parts of Finland and several other countries. The exhibition highlights the Aaltos’ unique contribution to church architecture.

The exhibition is organized chronologically, revealing the relationships between the designs developed over five decades. It also includes textual and visual reflections on key themes in sacred spaces, such as art, projects designed outside Finland, and the subsequent phases of the constructed churches. Original drawings and objects from several Aalto churches are on loan from the Alvar Aalto Foundation’s collections.