ALVAR AALTO, 1936
Object
The Alvar Aalto Vase, also known as Savoy Vase, is an iconic design object in glass design, Modernist design, Organic design, and European design. An avant-garde design piece, it represented an experiment based on new and unconventional ideas and forms at the time. Today, it is one of the most well-known Finnish objects in the world, alongside another creation by Aalto, Stool 60.
The great success of this vase stems from its unconventional and poetic shape, which was also technically challenging to produce at the time. Aalto’s asymmetrical and sinuous vases diverged from traditional glass design, where symmetrical forms had always been predominant, reflecting the free and organic line that characterizes Aalto’s work.
It is called the Savoy Vase because in 1937, Aalto used it as part of the decor for the Savoy restaurant in Helsinki, which he designed.
The Design and Origin of the Savoy Vase
The design for the Savoy Vase originated in 1936 when Aalto won the project to set up the Finnish pavilion at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair. This is considered by architectural scholars to be one of his first works of the “mature” period. The pavilion was designed by Aalto to communicate the harmony and coherence of Finnish industry in the use of natural resources (especially wood and glass) and received numerous accolades.
It was on this occasion that Aalto made a significant step forward in the world of industrial design by presenting his famous free-form vase, the Savoy Vase (often referred to as the Aalto Vase).
The Finnish organizers of the World’s Fair had encouraged the industries of their country to present original creations, and it was in this context that, in 1936, Iittala (the renowned Finnish glassworks) decided to hold a competition for the creation of new tableware and artistic glass objects.
They invited the country’s top architects and designers, and Aalto emerged as the winner.
The Cultural Impact of the Aalto Vase
The impact of Alvar Aalto’s entire body of work, not just the Savoy Vase, is immense. As mentioned earlier, the Aalto Vase for Iittala is one of the great classics in design history and a long seller for Iittala, which has continued to produce it without interruption.
Culturally, the Aalto Vase is present in the permanent collections of all the world’s top design museums. Over the past hundred years, it has become an archetype of Finnish design, organic design, and asymmetrical vases. The Aalto Vase is part of the collections at MoMA in New York, the V&A in London, the MAD in Paris, the Centre Pompidou, and many other top design museums around the world.
Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), Finnish designer and architect, revolutionized design with his bent wood technique. He is famous for the Paimio chair, designed in 1932, and the Savoy vase of 1936, which reflect an organic design inspired by nature. As the cofounder of Artek, Aalto integrated functionality and aesthetics, profoundly influencing modern and Scandinavian design.
Iittala
Iittala, founded in Finland in 1881, is renowned for its glass design objects. Collaborations with famous designers, both past and present, such as Alvar Aalto with the Savoy Vase and Tapio Wirkkala with the Ultima Thule series, have cemented Iittala’s reputation in Scandinavian design, and their objects are collected by the world’s leading design museums.
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The original version of the Savoy Vase by Alvar Aalto is available on YOOX.com at 99,90€ (at the time of writing).
In this version, the Savoy Vase has the following dimensions:
Width: 20.5 cm
Length: 20.5 cm
Height: 16 cm
The Alvar Aalto Vase is produced in Finland using blown glass, available in transparent or colored glass.
