Alvar Aalto, Ernst Neufert, and the Politics of Standardization in Times of War
Nader VOSSOUGHIAN, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and
Design, New York Institute of Technology

Introduction: Adegboyega Adefope, Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of
Architecture and Design, New York Institute of Technology

Respondent: Hyun-Tae JUNG, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
and Design, New York Institute of Technology

Lecture Description:
Alvar Aalto is arguably one of the most celebrated architects of the
last two hundred years. This is despite the fact that he enjoyed close
ties to Germany’s Nazi government during World War II. In this paper, I
document the scope and breadth of Aalto’s ties to Nazi Germany, focusing
in particular on 1.) his close friendship with the German industrial
builder Ernst Neufert and 2.) his role in establishing the Finnish
Standardization Office. My analysis takes issue with historians and
architects who laud Aalto’s innate “humanism.” Drawing on the work of
historian Manfredo Tafuri, I also offer a theory as to why scholar’s
still struggle to engage Aalto’s complex and problematic political
legacy today. My goal for this presentation will be to stimulate a
broader discussion about modernist art and politics. I also want to ask
how it is that we might more effectively address issues of social
justice in architecture schools (and architectural history classes) in
this new decade.

Nader VOSSOUGHIAN
Nader Vossoughian is an architectural historian, theorist, and curator
whose work focuses on the relationships among architecture, information,
and urban landscapes. A former Fulbright Scholar, he studied
philosophy, cultural studies, and German literature at Berkeley,
Swarthmore, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat (Freiburg), and Humboldt
University (Berlin) before receiving a master’s degree in German
studies, and both a master’s and a doctorate in architecture from
Columbia University. His articles have appeared in numerous scholarly
and popular journals, including the Journal of Architecture, Design
Issues, Hunch, Volume, and Grey Room. He has also curated exhibitions at
Stroom den Haag, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los
Angeles, and the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. He is the recipient
of grants and awards from the Graham Foundation, the German Academic
Exchange Service (DAAD), the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht, and
the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. His first book, Otto
Neurath: The Language of the Global Polis, was published in 2008 by the
Netherlands Architectural Institute (NAi) and is now available in
paperback edition. His current book-length project concentrates on Ernst
Neufert and his role in architectural standards of 20th-century Europe.