Alvar Aalto and the theory of play: Through analysis on Alvar Aalto's furniture design
Play was an important concept for Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898 1976) He emphasized the importance of play in design activities. Aalto seems to have been influenced by Yrjo Hirn (1870 1952) a Finnish aesthetician and author of Barnlek [Child's play, 1916] From the late 1920s to 1940s, Aalto designed not only buildings, but also furniture. In functionalism, which spread from the early 1920s, experimentation with wood for furniture played a very important role for Aalto. He emphasized that this experimentation was closely related to the idea of play. This study demonstrates Aalto's suggestive idea through an analysis of his furniture design. It can be said that the concept of play guided him to develop this idea.