Alvar Aalto

…through the eyes of Shigeru Ban.

GO SEE THIS. It’s fantastic and at the Barbican. Video, displays, sketches, photograhpy, letters etc…it’s brilliantly informative and attention grabbing. Only downside was the odd layout, and it seemed like part of the downstairs exhibit had just been thrown together.

But i loved it and spent 1 and a half hours easily, without any previous architectural exhibition experience.

About the layout. I started in the wrong bit, because i’m an idiot, but it’s chronological in a clockwise circle so it really isn’t that hard to work out. However, Ban’s done a great job. The notes are accessible enough for someone like me to understand, but wholesome enough to keep all the students scribbling away. I found it amazing as to just how involved Aalto was in the design process, across the areas of architecture, engineering, lighting, furniture design and even landscaping. There wasn’t too much analysis of the effect of his personal life on his work, which I really liked. It was clear his work was driven by a functionalist/modernist approach to serve the communities he was building for and the exhibition reflects this at times humanist, but always selfless, honest and sincere attitude to Architecture.

Definitely worthwhile.

22 February 2007 – 13 May 2007
Barbican Art Gallery