Alvar Aalto Wall Tile KELA white

Unique wall tile produced by Arabia for the National Pension Institute from the 1950s.

Size 24.5 x 5 x 4.5 cm.

Aalto began using ceramic tiles as a surface material in the 1950s. While designing the Rautatalo Office Building (Helsinki, 1951–55), Aalto began looking for a hygienic, acoustically pleasing and hard-wearing cladding material suitable for public spaces. He came up with special rod-shaped glazed tiles that were produced by Kupittaa Clay matching Aalto’s specifications. Aalto continued developing the rodshaped tiles while he was designing the main building of the National Pensions Institute (Helsinki, 1953–56), for which the Arabia Ceramic Factory produced tile variations in many different sizes and colours. The ceramic rods eventually became an integral element of Aalto’s architecture both indoors and on façades. The first buildings in which ceramic tiles appear extensively on façades were the Sundh Center in Avesta, Sweden, and Seinäjoki Town Hall.