Paimio Sanatorium
Alvar Aalto + Aino Aalto · Paimio, Finland · 1933
Paimio Sanatorium is one of the foundational works of European modernism and a demonstration of architecture designed around patient experience. Completed in 1933 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, the tuberculosis sanatorium organizes wards, terraces and communal functions to maximize sunlight, fresh air and views toward the surrounding forest. Color, furniture, washbasins, acoustics and even ceiling treatments were considered from the patient’s point of view. The building transformed functionalist principles into a more humane and sensory approach that became central to Aalto’s later work.