08 Jun 2018
Alvar Aalto's acclaimed Paimio Sanatorium heritage site up for sale
BY Kim Megson
A former tuberculosis sanatorium designed by the iconic Finnish architect Alvar Aalto has gone up for sale.
The clean-lined Paimio Sanatorium, completed in 1933 in a large woodland site 30 km (18 miles) east of Turku, Finland, brought Aalto international recognition and put Finland on the international map of modern architecture. The Functionalist building has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts thousands of Aalto enthusiasts every year.
It is now owned by Turku University Hospital, and has most recently been used as a private rehabilitation centre. The hospital is ready to vacate the site, and will listen to offers from 23 August. Possible leisure uses of the property include as a hotel, spa or cultural facility.
The Mayor of Paimio, Jari Jussinmäki, has supported the sale, provided its new use can benefit the region and that any changes to the structure are in harmony with Aalto’s design.
A description of the building the Paimio website reads: “Aalto brought to his design a profound concern for the diverse physical and psychological needs of patients with tuberculosis. Considerable emphasis was laid upon the peacefulness of the environment, hygiene and user comfort as well as humane, sustainable solutions. Great efforts were made to rethink and redesign heating, lighting and furniture to best suit the patients.”
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