Aalto University’s new meeting place was named after Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949). She was a pioneer of multidisciplinary creativity and had a significant impact on the history of Finnish architecture and design.
The picture above shows the opening of the Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition in Marsio in September 2024. Photo: Kalle Kataila
Aalto University’s new meeting place was named Marsio as a tribute to Aino Marsio-Aalto, who was a creative pioneer, an architect, a designer, an entrepreneur and an alumnus of Aalto University.
“Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form”
Marsio-Aalto had a significant impact on the history of Finnish architecture and design. Marsio-Aalto, together with her spouse and partner, architect Alvar Aalto, designed buildings, interior decorations and objects that continue to inspire people and to bring beauty into everyday life.
She was not just an architect, but also an artist, a carpenter and a mason
Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949) studied at Helsinki University of Technology, i.e. the current Aalto University in the 1910s, a time when Finland was one of the few countries where women had the right to study to become architects. She graduated as an architect in 1920.
Marsio was interested in learning new things: she developed her skills with a broad scope from the very beginning of her career. She had a skill in drawing, and she worked as a carpenter and a mason. Later she became interested in glass. Her broad material knowledge helped in developing new types of technology and products as well as the curved shapes that are characteristic of Aalto design.
When Aino Marsio was 30 years old, she started working at Alvar Aalto’s architectural firm in Jyväskylä in 1924. Alvar was four years younger than her. Aino was a modern and independent woman who had travelled in Europe to seek influences for her work. Aino and Alvar started working together, found a common professional calling, and fell in love.
The couple started their honeymoon to Italy by boarding a seaplane in Katajanokka in Helsinki. This dazzling couple, that was familiar with the trends of the time, was able to work together in an equal and symbiotic manner from the very beginning. As people, they were opposites: according to Aino, their works complemented each other, which made working together fruitful and diverse. When looking at their collaborative works it is indeed difficult to say who did what. Their shared career began to flourish.
Photo: Aino Marsio-Aalto. Photo from Aino Marsio-Aalto’s family photo collection.
