Nestled in the woods in southwestern Finland is the Alvar Aalto–designed Paimio Sanatorium, to me one of the most impressive buildings of the 20th century. Completed in 1933, the former tuberculosis sanatorium is a work of both art and science. It’s a cathedral to health and an instrument for healing. Aalto’s design, which was the winning entry for a 1929 competition, succeeds on both a macro and micro scale, seamlessly integrating the forested landscape with the architectural site plan and the interiors. (Aalto and his first wife, Aino, crafted all of the facility’s furniture, much of which is still available from the Finnish furniture company Artek.) On a recent visit, I was struck by the incredible care that went into Aalto’s fully articulated layout, which includes dramatic balconies (plenty of rest and sunshine was thought to be the best cure for tuberculosis during most of the early part of the 20th century), a double-height cafeteria, meeting rooms, a chapel, public spaces, staff housing, and walking trails throughout the surrounding forest. The patients’ rooms themselves received particular consideration. Because each space was originally designed to house two convalescents, Aalto created special no-splash sinks that would allow users to wash without disrupting the other. Lighting is located up high or down low, never at sight lines. Soothing, non-glare colors are utilized throughout the building—see the pale-yellow staircases and soothing blue common spaces. Windowed rooms connect to the landscape. A building for the ill becomes an inspiration for life.
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