Searching Paradise

Abstract

According to Alvar Aalto, raising the quality of life did not lie in technical and economic capabilities but in the creative work of architects, whose “houses are built where people can lead happy lives,” and only reachable “by concentrating on human happiness.” This search for paradise, magnificently expressed by the Finnish architect, has guided countless projects in modern architecture. The house, the place of home, the world and container of the everyday individual and family life has been the privileged set of this implicit exploration, where many paradises can be recognised. It is about achieving adequate protection and getting a space where satisfaction becomes a daily joy for those who live in it: happiness as an attainable goal.