The school in its earlier incarnation as Taik educated many of the household names of Finnish art, design and cinema. Many alumni, such as
Tapio Wirkkala and
Kaj Franck have earned international acclaim for their work. The school of architecture, when part of
Helsinki University of Technology, produced the foremost names in the history of modern Finnish architecture, most notably
Signe Hornborg,
Eliel Saarinen,
Alvar Aalto – after whom the new university is named –
Viljo Revell,
Reima Pietilä,
Timo Penttilä and
Juhani Pallasmaa. Internationally acclaimed Marxist theorist and activist
Franco Berardi defended his dissertation in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture in 2014.
Raija Jokinen, Finnish Textile Artist of the Year 2020, graduated with a master's degree in textile design in 1990. == Väre building ==