Ceiling lamp model A203

Designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaistustyö

Finland, 1960

The A203 ceiling lamp was designed by Alvar Aalto for Valaistustyö in the early 1960s and produced for Stora Enso’s head office in Helsinki, completed in 1962. Aalto conceived both the architecture and the interior design of the building, integrating lighting as an essential element of its aesthetic and spatial harmony.

Executed in white lacquered metal with brass fittings, the A203 features three cylindrical shades suspended from an oval canopy. The form reflects Aalto’s ability to balance geometry with softness, a design philosophy visible throughout his architectural work. The lamp’s refined proportions and tactile materiality create a subtle interplay of light and structure, evoking the organic warmth that defines Finnish modernism.

This rare example captures Aalto’s holistic approach to design, where architecture, furniture, and lighting coexist as parts of a unified artistic vision.