T
his chapter is an empirical presentation of the organisation and parties that
were involved in the building of Paimio Sanatorium and explains the general
economic situation in Finland at that time, and how the project was funded
and executed. I have selected the concrete frame, windows, patient room furnishings
and installation technology as the specific focus for investigating the building process
on the basis of Aalto’s own writings and design documents.
For European modernist architects, the reinforced concrete frame represented a
solution to the problems of urban development and, for Alvar Aalto, using the new type
of structure was a welcome challenge as its application as a complete system in building
construction at the turn of the 1930s was a novelty in Finland.^513 The use of concrete
structures also required the ability to carry out structural calculations, a skill that many
Finnish engineers acquired through studying and working abroad. “The Decision of
the Council of State Concerning Instructions on Concrete and Reinforced Concrete
Structures” from 1928 is an example of a new approach in construction. From now on
the reinforced concrete structures were to be based on scientifically tested knowledge.
Building firms became aware of the necessity of concrete building and many adver-
tised their competence in this area, which they were indeed rapidly accumulating. The
reinforced concrete frame of Paimio Sanatorium was designed in mutual collaboration
between the architect and structural engineer.
Another key theme is the windows. The title of Aalto’s competition entry, Piirretty
Ikkuna (Drawn Window), alone is an indication of the great importance of this element
for the architect. Windows were crucial in the architectural ideology that emphasised
the importance of sunlight and fresh air. The main building of Paimio Sanatorium was
fitted with the more traditional wooden windows as well as metal windows and hybrids
thereof. A further proof of the great importance of the window designs is the large
number of architectural window drawings that remain.
In his article “Asuntomme probleemina” (The Dwelling as a Design Problem), Aalto
discussed possibilities to increase the functionality of small dwellings, for which reason
the furniture needed to be lightweight and movable. In the small apartments presented
for CIAM, the spaces were well appointed despite their compact size. The apartment had
a private space for each family member together with a versatile, modifiable shared space.
The concept of a minimum dwelling was probably inspiring to Aalto when designing
the patient room of Paimio Sanatorium, as the architectural drawings included a great
number of details designed for the patient room. He seemed to approach the design
513 Hennebique’s reinforced concrete construction system had gained popularity in the early 1900s, following the
Paris Exposition Universelle. One of the largest and most significant early reinforced concrete buildings is Eliel
Saarinen’s Railway Station in Helsinki, which was based on a competition win and the reinforced concrete frame
was designed by structural engineer Jalmar Castrén. Reinforced concrete structures were also used in industrial
buildings, such as the new facilities for the City of Helsinki Gas and Electricity Company, which were jointly de-
signed by Selim A. Lindqvist and Jalmar Castrén, warehouses and commercial buildings dating from the first few
decades of the 1900s. One of the key examples of the latter is the Stockmann Department Store in Helsinki from
1930, designed by architect Sigurd Froserus. Putkonen 1991, pp. 21–76.