Alvar Aalto Library in Vyborg: saving a modern masterpiece

This book presents architect Alvar Aalto’s famous library in Vyborg, Russia, and the international efforts since 1994 to restore it. The building and the restoration are exemplars in architectural history and the history of heritage conservation respectively. The first plans for the building date from 1927 and it was eventually constructed, after various modifications to the design, in 1934-1935. This extraordinary example of modernist design is a catalogue of innovative concepts that reflect Aalto’s most mature and influential work. Every restoration task dealing with a building as remarkable as the library becomes unique. The original intentions of the architect, the present physical condition and the future intended use together affect the numerous decisions to be made during the restoration process. The restoration of Viipuri Library has been divided into sub-projects carried out in order of urgency. This book presents in detail all the sub-projects that have been completed to date.