Above the washbasins, glass shelves were commissioned. The drawings also included
two glass shelves with covers^855 , which were probably designed for the operating theatre,
and one iron plate shelf.^856 No architectural designs for the final glass shelf exist. The
Building Board refused to pay the supplier of the glass shelves, Lasitehtaitten Myyn-
tikeskus (Glass Factories’ Sales Company), more than had originally been agreed.^857
The Committee favoured Finnish-made light fittings and decided that, at most,
one quarter of them could be foreign-manufactured.^858 The draft list of light fit-
tings included four special lights, one for the overhead light in the patient room,
the bedside lamp, table lamp A and a table lamp. Special lamps were made to
order.^859 The architect’s goal was, in other words, to design the lights for the patient
rooms himself. The patient rooms also had small conical fixed wall lamps above the
washbasins, “wall plinth B”, 860 designed by the architect.
Taito Oy manufactured the overhead lights and the other lights for the patient
rooms.^861 The architect created a standard for the overhead light in the patient room
and handed it over to the manufacturer. The bottom of the drawing reads: “Special light
for the patient room. The reflector will be surfaced as instructed later. Other parts white
enamel. The protective glass may possibly be left out, in which case the removable part
could instead be fixed, but equipped with a small hatch for changing the night lamp.
855 Drawings Nos. 50-200 and 50-201. AAM.
856 Drawing No. 50-190. AAM.
857 Building Board March 6, 1933, Section 6. PSA.
858 Building Committee August 18, 1932, Section 4. PSA.
859 Drawing No. 50-709. AAM.
860 Drawing No. 50-710. AAM.
861 A letter of Oy Taito Ab lamp manufacturing company to Aalto, September 11, 1932. Documents related to the
Paimio Sanatorium project. AAM.Fig. 3.5.3e. The glass shelf of the patient room was manufactured by Karhula glass factory.
Photograph Ark-byroo.