The window opening height was lower than the room height. The joint between the
wall and the ceiling was coved.^750 This diagram indicated how the solutions had yet
again been investigated further than in the previous version.
The final window solution for the patient room was developed through three
drawings. In the first drawing made for the contract calculations, a mullion ran
through the double-sash wooden window which opens both inwards and outwards
and was supported with a steel T-profile. The second version of the patient room
window was dated the following day. In the latter drawing, the window was a tri-
partite steel-framed window with wooden sashes. Both drawings are created by
architect Lauri Sipilä.^751 The third drawing^752 , which corresponded to the windows
eventually realised, is by Lars Wiklund. The tripartite window had two transoms
running the depth of the structure. The middle row of windows, however, did not
have the same transoms as the top and bottom rows. Below the window elevation
drawing there was a diagram indicating the opening directions of the window frames.
The upper windows were top-hung, while the lower ones were bottom-hung and the
middle windows side-hung. Aalto coined this unusual solution as the “horizontal
health-window”. The solution legitimised the use of iron profiles to reinforce the
structure, which was Aalto’s personal ambition. It was important for Aalto to be able
to talk about wood-steel windows instead of simply wooden windows, as the latter
represented the traditional building method in Finland. With this new design, Aalto
set a new standard for “health” windows. His innovation was a clear departure from
the past.
In addition to the window standard drawings and the competition vignette image,
there were only five other drawings of steel windows drawn by the architect among
the architectural drawings.^753 Details of Paimio Sanatorium steel windows and
doors, such as the stays, were not designed by Aalto’s office but by the manufacturer’s
drawing department. The architect’s remit was exclusively to draw diagrams. One
of the diagrams presented the steel window standards for the patient corridors and
special units.^754 Another drawing was an extract of the former, drawn in pencil.^755
A third drawing was a comprehensive presentation of the sanatorium’s steel win-
dows.^756 The window wall in the lounge, with triangular, heated glazed cabinets for
plants, appeared in two drawings. The internal windows of the conversation space
were glazed according to the specifications using pitch pine beads. The two largest
windows in the end wall were glazed with eight-millimetre special glass and the plant
corner cabinets between these panes were heated with vertical radiator pipes running
750 Drawing No. 50-181. AAM.
751 Drawings Nos. 50-196 and 50-222 are related to this stage. AAM.
752 Drawing No. 50–321. AAM.
753 The drawings also include ones for interior windows, such as glazed lift walls, but these have been excluded from
this discussion.
754 Drawing No. 50-319. AAM
755 Drawing No. 50-327. AAM.
756 Drawing No. 50-328. AAM.