Alvar Aalto Medal 50th Anniversary

The Museum of Finnish Architecture’s main autumn exhibition celebrates the anniversary and winners of the international architecture prize bearing Alvar Aalto’s name. Over the past 50 years, the Alvar Aalto Medal has been awarded to accomplished architects from 10 countries. In this jubilee year, the medal is being handed out for the 13th time. The award ceremony will be held during a seminar at Finlandia Hall on September 12. Professor Juhani Pallasmaa will deliver the keynote address.

The medal, designed by Aalto, was established in 1967 to honour creative architectural work. The medal may be bestowed on a living person who is exceptionally accomplished in the field of creative architecture and has carried on Aalto’s legacy of sustainable, humane design. A condition for the award is respect for ecology in building and the timeless principle of architecture as a societal tool and a reinforcer of social relationships.

The Museum of Finnish Architecture exhibition presents the medallists from 1967 to today. They represent a comprehensive cross-section of the developments and stylistic directions in architecture over the past half century. The award has been given to accomplished architects with uncompromising careers, but also to some who have recently risen in the international field, serving as a promising sign for these medallists’ later careers.

The jubilee exhibition is co-produced by the Alvar Aalto Foundation and the Museum of Finnish Architecture.