MODERNISM, AALTO AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF HEALTH

Page 1

CHRISTA NIELSEN INDES 396 SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERIOR DESIGN WINTER 2016 FINAL RESEARCH PAPER MODERNISM, ALVAR AALTO AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF HEALTHCARE The architectural history of health and the hospital runs deep in our culture. Decade after decade, its physical structure has changed in function, appearance, prominence and location–all dependent on cultural dynamics. With that said, there is a specific time period where the hospital became a key building and its relationship to architectural practices was particularly profound–during the modernist movement of the early twentieth century. The use of new technology to create high-functioning, efficient health facilities laid the groundwork for today’s modern hospital. In the following essay, I will attempt to outline a brief history of healthcare architecture before the twentieth century. I will then answer the question of how hospital architecture, specifically the sanatorium, in the early twentieth century was a reflection of, and response to, the Modernist movement. Through a series of case studies, I will explore how the ideals of the Modernist philosophy were expressed in the built environment of the “modern” sanatoriums built during the early to mid 1900’s. Finally, I will focus my analysis on Alvar Aalto’s masterpiece, the Paimio Sanatorium. I will show how the concepts developed in this building both embraced and went beyond the modernist aesthetic to lay the foundation for contemporary healthcare design. To truly understand how profoundly the modernist movement affected hospital architecture, it’s necessary to take a brief look at what came before. Early in history, the sick were cared for in their homes. Later, religious orders took responsibility for looking after the infirm within their churches or cathedrals. Eventually, in more affluent cities, hospitals were constructed by civic organizations. Many of these buildings were structured around large central courtyards with smaller secondary courtyards delineated by open wards (Figure 1).


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
MODERNISM, AALTO AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF HEALTH by Christa Nielsen Design - Issuu