Alvar Aalto: An Anthill Under the Undulating Sky. A Critical View of Finnish Networking

Abstract

The many speculative writings found in Finnish architect Alvar Aalto's notes show an interesting array of information about the construction of a knowledge society, and the formation of networks, in which sharing and exchanging new knowledge among different bodies of architectural agencies become possible. These notes reveal insightful remarks, his personal accounts on the Internet and the growing Network Society that could be regarded as pioneering scholarly engagements, which still further stimulate new and profoundly articulated reflections in architectural theory. At the same time, these notes also encourage further scholarly studies on the possible relationships between time and space on philosophical grounds. With respect to his writings, one can summarize Aalto's contribution under three major headings: the future is nestled in the past; often what is sought is located in the unthinkable; and of many, Alvar Aalto will never cease to be new, unexpected and innovative in his design thinking methods and procedures.