At the turn of the century, art nouveau style brought with it a completely new concept of beauty. Finnish art nouveau is not as decorative as the variations found on the Continent. In the last years of the 1920s, functionalism made its breakthrough in architecture. Aalto's architecture can be found throughout the world and he has had a great influence on the next generation of architects. The typical features of Finnish industrial design are a form of clean lines, a harmonius use of color and a preference for natural materials.
Good design is timeless.
The chairs designed by Alvar Aalto are classics today and many of the products designed in the 1950s are still being manufactured. Finnish design covers everything from textiles and furs to the products of the Arabia, Iittala and Nuutaj rvi glassworks and ceramics. Today, design covers an increasingly wide range of products, for example in the engineering and electronics industries.