UNESCO inscribes Aalto's modernist buildings — still in daily use — as World Heritage

Thirteen modernist buildings across Finland, designed by Alvar Aalto and collaborators from 1928 to 1988, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 26 July 2026. UNESCO's list typically favours ancient ruins; these structures — hospitals, libraries, campus halls — remain in everyday use. Elissa Aalto, Alvar's second wife, is credited as a named design partner. It is Finland's eighth World Heritage property.