Famous Finnish Architects

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American industrial designer and architect best remembered for his impressive designs for monuments and buildings. He is credited with designing important structures, such as the Washington Dulles International Airport, the TWA Flight Center, and the Gateway Arch. He is widely regarded as one of the 20th-century's most prominent American architectures.

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto initially had his studies interrupted by the Finnish Civil War, which saw him fighting for the White Army. His first architectural design was for his parents’ house. He had experimented with furniture and glassware, too. His works showcase a move from classicism to functionalism.

Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen was a prominent architect of Finland. He later moved to the US where he influenced modern architecture. He also collaborated with son Eero, a leading American architect. Notable buildings designed by Eliel, known for his designs in Art Nouveau style, includes Helsinki Central Station and Joensuu City Hall in Finland; and St Paul's Church in Estonia.   

Prominent Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa has held several academic and civic positions including as professor of architecture and dean at Helsinki University of Technology. His interest in Constructivist-architecture and Structuralist-architecture is reflected in appearance of the Kamppi Centre building in Helsinki, Finland, which was designed by different architects under direction of Helin & Co, with Pallasmaa as the main designer.  

Prominent Finnish architect and designer Aino Aalto considered a pioneer of Scandinavian design, co-founded Artek design company with her architect husband, Alvar Aalto and others. She served as its first creative director and collaborated on most of its famous designs. It has been discovered that work of the Viipuri Library, which typifies 1920s functionalist architectural design, was completed by her.  

Finnish architect Viljo Revell, a leading exponent of Functionalism in Finnish architecture, is best-remembered in his country for designing the Lasipalatsi, a notable functionalist building in Helsinki; and Palace Hotel, a historic modernist hotel also located in Helsinki. Revell is best-known internationally for designing New City Hall that has emerged as one of the distinctive landmarks of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Finnish architect, environmental-artist and architectural theorist Marco Casagrande gained critical attention producing architectonic installations with Finnish architect and artist Sami Rintala from 1998 to 2003 under their partnership Casagrande & Rintala, for venues of contemporary architecture and art across the globe. One of the most notable works of Casagrande & Rintala, which dissolved in 2003, is the Land(e)scape in Savonlinna  

Erik Bryggman, a pioneer in modernist-architecture in Finland, gained attention designing-houses in Finland in Nordic-Classicism style. He later transitioned to modernism. He collaborated with architect Alvar Aalto; design for Turku Fair of 1929 is considered best-known project of the duo. Notable individual works of Bryggman include extension to library of Åbo Akademi University, Turku, and Resurrection Chapel in Turku cemetery.