Aalto Design: Shapes of Wellbeing
5 June 2026 – 3 January 2027
In summer 2026, the Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki will present the architecture and design of Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto. The multidisciplinary exhibition Aalto Design: Shapes of Wellbeing boldly asks what these classics can contribute to contemporary discussions on the design of wellbeing.
Opening in June 2026 at the Architecture and Design Museum, Aalto Design: Shapes of Wellbeing invites visitors to explore the Aaltos’ legacy from the perspective of wellbeing.
The exhibition highlights wellbeing as the Aaltos’ major contribution to Western architectural modernism and examines how their work and philosophy approach it as a balance between people, nature, the built environment, and materials. It connects the Aaltos’ idea of holistic wellbeing with contemporary thinking and the growing desire to understand wellbeing as extending beyond the individual to concern the whole planet.
The exhibition is produced by the Architecture and Design Museum and curated by the Head of Research Petteri Kummala and the Exhibitions Curator Jutta Tynkkynen. The museum’s newly appointed Chief Curator, Carson Chan, has served as curatorial advisor. The curatorial concept brings together a diverse dialogue of presentation methods and materials, including drawings and scale models, furniture, glass objects and material experiments, as well as artworks. The exhibition also features rarely displayed items from the museum’s collections.
Museum Director Pilvi Kalhama’s vision has been to introduce diverse modes of storytelling and presentation that encourage new interpretations of familiar materials. The exhibition includes, among other works, the multi-channel video installation Other Actors (2025) by London-based artist and researcher Ilona Sagar. The work explores the relationships between body and building, and between health and architecture, at the Paimio Sanatorium designed by the Aaltos.
“On our journey towards a new Architecture and Design Museum, we want to find ways to experience and interpret architecture and design in experiential and multidisciplinary ways,” says Pilvi Kalhama.
The Aalto Lounge, designed by exhibition architect Linda Bergroth, offers a calm space for rest and reflection and invites visitors to explore how being in a space affects their body and mind in the presence of authentic Aalto objects. The lounge also functions as an experiential meeting and event space available for hire.
The exhibition is based on works by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto from the Architecture and Design Museum’s collections, supplemented by loans. The exhibition’s partner is the Alvar Aalto Foundation.
Further information about the exhibition and public programme will be announced at a later date.
Notes for editors
Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) was a Finnish architect and designer who rose to iconic status both nationally and internationally. He is known as a key pioneer of humane modernism. Aalto’s architecture has been proposed for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, with a decision expected in 2026.
Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949) was a nationally and internationally recognized architect, designer, and interior architect, as well as one of the founders of Artek. She worked alongside her spouse as an equal partner in design and, as Artek’s first artistic director, created the company’s distinctive style. As a designer, Aino Aalto is especially known for her glassware.
Elissa Aalto (1922–1994) was a Finnish architect and Alvar Aalto’s longtime collaborator and spouse, who had a significant influence on the operations of Aalto’s office in the postwar period. From the 1950s onward, she played a central role in the firm’s major building projects. After her husband’s death, Elissa led the office, completed unfinished projects, and participated in planning the restoration of Aalto’s buildings.
For materials, images and interview requests
Ilona Hildén
Communications Specialist
Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki
ilona.hilden@admuseo.fi
+358 443582175
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Image: Other Actors, Ilona Sagar, 2025.