Chapter 3 | The Building of Paimio Sanatoriumwere keen to know when Aalto would be able to deliver a proposal.^949 The architectural
drawings include design of a wall-mounted panel radiator, stamped as a standard, showing
a recessed version and one mounted on top of the wall surface.^950 In November 1931, Aalto
received a letter from Willy Malmström company from Denmark, representing a company
named Brøderne Dahl (Brothers Dahl), which supplied the wall-mounted panel radiators
and the Rayard radiators for the sanatorium. The letter was enclosed with English-language
illustrated materials on the operating principle of Rayard radiators.^951 The idea of using radi-
ator heaters in Paimio Sanatorium emerged at a time when Radiator was drawing up the
water, sewage and heating piping specifications in collaboration with Aalto. In the patient
room diagrams dated prior to this, ceiling-mounted radiators did not appear.
The natural ventilation system was possibly paired with a mechanical exhaust
system. Strikingly, no separate ventilation plan was designed, and it was dealt with in
the specifications in conjunction with the heating system.
BUILDING ROOM AIR CHANGE RATE / h
A patient rooms 50 m^3 per patient
A bathrooms, washrooms and disinfection rooms 3 x volume of the room
A toilet facilities 5 x volume of the room
B dining hall, lounge and sewing room 2 x volume of the room
C kitchen 15 x volume of the room
C laundry 8 x volume of the room
C laundry mangle and dish-washing room 5 x volume of the room
other rooms 1 x volume of the roomTable 3.6.1b. The air change rate calibration. Specifications of the water, sewage and
heating systems. PSA.
949 Wärtsilä’s letter, signed by Wilhelm Wahlfors, to Alvar Aalto, June 27, 1931. Documents related to the Paimio Sana-
torium project. AAM.
950 Drawing No. 50–202, which is dated October 16, 1931. AAM.
951 The letter of Brøderne Dahl signed by Willy Malmström to Alvar Aalto, November 14, 1931. Documents related to
the Paimio Sanatorium project. AAM.