Alvar Aalto Architect, vol. 20: Maison Louis Carré 1956-61

The 20th volume of the book series Alvar Aalto Architect invites you to explore Maison Louis Carré – one of the best-known private houses by Aalto, located close to Paris. The book consists of articles, photographs and drawings that provide a versatile and detailed overview of the topic.

After the Villa Mairea, the Maison Louis Carré is the most carefully executed and detailed of the private houses designed by Alvar Aalto.

In her articles, A Home of Design and Art and Living at Maison Louis Carré, Ásdís Ólafsdóttir deals with life in the house and the complex process of designing its interiors, with particular reference to the specially made unique pieces of furniture.

In his essay, ”I speak of what is good”, Esa Laaksonen discusses the architecture of the building as a complete work of art and its relationship to Aalto’s other designs. His analysis largely centres around the hitherto unpublished sketches, working drawings and photographs in the collections of the Alvar Aalto Museum.

Antoine Terrasse describes Louis Carré’s rich and eventful life, a story complemented by Irmelin Lebeer’s interview with the art dealer in the 1960s. The book also presents other works produced by Aalto’s office contemporaneus with the Maison Louis Carré design, 1955-57.

Arne Heporauta’s list of realised and unrealised projects is complemented with Päivi Lukkarinen’s article on the Korkalovaara housing area in Rovaniemi and Mari Forsberg’s article on housing for the Viitaniemi garden town in Jyväskylä, Finland.

The Alvar Aalto Foundation works to continue the material and intellectual heritage of Alvar Aalto, for example by overseeing the Alvar Aalto Academy and the Architectural Heritage Department in Helsinki. In addition, the Foundation maintains the Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä and organizes guided tours at Aalto's Helsinki home, Säynätsalo summer house and Muuratsalo Experimental House.