Alvar Aalto (February 3, 1898 - May 11, 1976)
Architect and designer, the father of Modernism in Scandinavia, born in Kuortane, WC Finland. He studied at Helsinki Polytechnic, and evolved a unique architectural style based on irregular and asymmetric forms and the imaginative use of natural materials. He designed numerous public and industrial buildings in Finland, including the Finlandia concert hall in Helsinki. In the 1930s he also pioneered the use of factory-made laminated birchwood for a distinctive style of Finnish furniture.
