A photographic tour of Alvar Aalto's restored Viipuri Library

2015-09-01T14:29:00-04:00

For almost twenty years, The Finnish Committee for the Restoration of Viipuri Library worked to restore Alvar Aalto's rarely seen Viipuri library. Located in Vyborg, Russia, which was under Finnish rule when the library was originally conceived (hence its occasional moniker of the Vyborg Library) the newly restored interior and exterior of the library has been comprehensively photographed by Denis Esakov.

The stark white rectilinear forms of the exterior are counterbalanced by a series of elliptical, curvaceous elements, from the 58 skylights over the reading room to the elegant sweep of the circulation desk and the gradually ascending central staircases.

An auditorium, complete with original furnishings, features a gentle, undulating wooden ceiling.

Built in the pre-digital era, the library has retained some space-saving features from that time, including movable stacks that can be adjusted with a rotating lever.

On the exterior, the placement of the windows within the expanses of wal...

Restoration of Alvar Aalto’s Viipuri Library wins 2014 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize

2014-11-04T17:51:00-05:00

The Finnish Committee for the Restoration of the Viipuri Library with the Central City Alvar Aalto Library in Vyborg recently won the 2014 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize for restoring Alvar Aalto's historic Viipuri Library in Vyborg, Russia. Established in 2008, the prize is awarded biennially for an innovative architectural or design solution that has preserved or enhanced a modern landmark or group of landmarks.

The biennial Knoll Prize will be presented at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City on December 1, followed by a free public lecture from the winners. The prize includes a cash award of $10,000 and a limited edition Mies van der Rohe-designed Barcelona Chair from Knoll.

The Viipuri Library, c. 1935 ↓

Find more photos and other details on Bustler.

Archinect - News

A photographic tour of Alvar Aalto's restored Viipuri Library

Restoration of Alvar Aalto’s Viipuri Library wins 2014 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize