Notes from Alvar Aalto's Villa Mairea in Noormarkku

Villa Mairea in Noormarkku in southwestern Finland - one of Alvar and Aino Aalto's most well-known and celebrated designs, built in the late 1930s.

 

Sometimes things take time - like this post about my visit to Villa Mairea while in Finland last summer. I'm not sure if it's because so much has been said of this pearl of 20th century modernist architecture, which kind of takes out both the need and the fun of adding anything. Or because I actually was slightly disappointed at the visit that I'd been waiting for such a long time.

With disappointment I definitely don't mean the building - one of Alvar Aalto's finest, commissioned by Harry and Maire Gullichsen, one of the wealthiest couples in Finland (at the time), who gave Aalto and his architect wife Aino pretty much free hands to form everything to the perfection. Both couples were friends and even business partners - Maire and the Aaltos had briefly before founded Artek, originally an avant-garde art gallery that later morphed into the furniture company that still produces and sells Aalto's designs worldwide.

 

The building shines white amongst the tall pines of a gravelly hill - while the wooden parts connect to the coppery bark of the trees.

The L-form of the building leaves a grassy courtyard between the house and the sauna (on the left, not seen in the picture). Some parts of the roof are covered in grassy turf, just like traditional Finnish buildings were since ancient times, connecting the building both to history and to the surrounding nature.

 

The building was a holiday home for the Gullichsens, an experimental house where only the best was good enough - of course, being true modernists, this translates to a minimalistic style typical for Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino. Sculptural, light, airy, connected to its surroundings and utilizing materials from the nature - the building has stood the test of time. There is a great indoor/outddor contact between the house and the surrounding pine forest, and overall atmosphere is calm and sophisticated - and still, after almost eighty years, completely current. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed indoors, so I have to direct you to Villa Mairea's own site to make your own mind.

 

The outdoor entertainment area between the house and the sauna, with Artek furniture.

The famous free-form pool, from another angle -the sauna is just to the right. Read more about the pool (and Alvar Aalto's friendship with Thomas Church) in my previous post here.

 

The disappointment part starts first in the garden of Villa Mairea - often the only garden in Finland mentioned in international texts and other media (sadly, as there is much more to Finnish garden design than this). I'm not sure how much the Aalto's spent time designing the garden - of course, they did the overall plan with the famous free form pool (sometimes said to be the first in the world), but how much they spent time with choosing the plants and other important garden elements is not certain. Maire Gullichsen herself was a keen gardener, so she probably had her hands on these matters to a great extent.

 

Garden gate behind the sauna - it ties to traditional Finnish structures, but the design has also been said to have taken influences from Aalto's visit to Japan.

The absolutely lovely stone wall behind the sauna (all Finnish holiday houses have a sauna, it is more essential than the house itself...). And again, a reference to the traditional Finnish countryside in form of hops growing on tall poles.

 

I say slightly disappointed above - the garden connects smoothly both the building and its surroundings, the massed plantings form sculptural groupings and soft mounds against the coppery pillars of the pine forest. It is just that I find it difficult to love bright red hybrid roses, massed rhododendrons, berberis, cotoneasters, ligularias and other perfectly fine plants that unfortunately were so overused in the 1960s and onwards that they still smell too much of municipal plantings to be really exciting. When planted, they probably were as avant-garde and exotic as the house itself, but my eyes just can really see past the more recent garden history. Still, changing the plants would be an anachronism, so I guess the best solution is to try forget about public plantings, and to see them with untainted eyes - not easy, but definitely worth a try. So despite starting my post with mentioning that pretty much everything  has already been said about Villa Mairea, I've now managed to add some 550 words into the bulk of writings - so surely, the building still is - if not as avant-garde, at least as engaging as when it was built in 1938.

 

One more picture of the typical Finnish pine forest - how I sometimes miss the sound of wind soughing through the needles, and the fresh scent of the trees...
 

Visits to Villa Mairea are by appointment only - check the Villa Mairea Foundation's information pages here: http://www.villamairea.fi/en/visits. 

Early morning stroll in Turku, my howntown

River Aura runs through my hometown Turku, an old trading town since early 13th century and until 1827, the capital of Finland. The handsome Turku Cathedral, seen in the background, was consecrated in year 1300. The huge ducks in the river are a permanent art installation.

We are just back from a couple of weeks in Sweden and Finland, happy to be back home in Singapore but already missing our loved ones. Some years, I'm not sure if I want to go to Scandinavia as I know how hard it will be to leave, even if I really love our life in Singapore - a somewhat schizophrenic feeling that seems to grow each year that goes (we are now into our 7th year away from Saltsjöbaden...).

While in Turku (or Åbo, as it is called in Swedish), my Finnish hometown that I left for almost 23 years ago, I realized all too late that I've never really photographed it like I should. Of course, this epiphany came on my last morning there so not much was to be done, but I nevertheless lugged my camera along on our morning walk along Aura river that runs through the city. We were a bit too late, the sun was already too high up at 8 am making the photos look a bit harsh, but I wanted to include this ramble amongst my posts anyway.

As it was an early morning in late July, most people were on holidays, and the sleepy little city was just waking up to yet another unusually hot summer day. After wandering along the river, we had a freshly brewed morning coffee at one of the many cafes under the old linden trees. Absolutely lovely, both the walk and the coffee.

The archbishop's residence behind the Cathedral - with the Aura river running just behind, not a bad place to live... Edited: I've obviously been away long enough to forget some details... This building is not the archbishop's residence (which is situated in the next block), but a building belonging to Åbo Akademi, the only exclusively Swedish language university in Finland.

Probably my favorite church - the Turku Cathedral. During my school years, I sang in a choir. We spent countless hours here practicing, giving concerts and recording songs for competitions and records, often during the night time to avoid traffic noise. It was quite scary to climb up to the dusty balconies and lecterns of the old church, not much was needed to get my teenage brain to perceive ghosts behind the corners...

The Brinkkala Building, scene for an important tradition in Turku and in the whole Finland: the Declaration of Christmas Peace, which started in the 1320s (and in this actual place since 1888). The tradition is said to been interrupted only during the Russian invasion and occupation of Finland in 1712–1721, in 1917 when the militia was on strike, and in 1939 because of a fear of air raids. The Declaration of Christmas Peace launches the Christmas celebrations and in a way marks the official start of Christmas in Finland. 
 

At noon on Christmas Eve, the declaration is read out loud (and broadcasted on radio, TV and today even on YouTube) to remind people that Christmas peace has begun, to advise people to spend the festive period in harmony, to threaten offenders with harsh punishments, and to wish all a merry Christmas. Standing here in the cold Christmas weather, listening to the ancient message with family and friends, and afterwards, having a hot glögg (kind of gluhwein) is one (in my humble opinion) of the best ways to start the Christmas celebrations.

Pinella, an old restaurant across the park from the Brinkkala Building - sleeping through the early summer morning.

Behind the city library, towards Vähätori with many restaurants and cafes...

The Turku city library was built in 1903 with the Stockholm House of Nobles (Riddarhuset) as a model (what a crazy idea, really).

 

Another café, in another old house... Artek, one of my favorite shops in Finland, used to be here earlier.

 

 A short backstreet leading to yet another café - not open at 8 am, a pity...

 Entrance to Café Quensel, behind the Quensel house built in year 1700. It had a pharmacy by the riverside, which is now a charming museum (the red color looks much more vivid here than in real life).

Inside the courtyard of Quensel house; courtyards like this are typical for the old wooden houses in Turku.

The old Turku Conservatorium, where I spent hours at piano lessons and exams, music theory and history lessons and other fantastic things that I didn't much appreciate at that time...

 

 Under one of the many bridges in Turku - when I grew up, the riversides were filled with small boats ready to take off to the archipelago; now, sadly only very few keep their boats there because of all vandalism (instead, there are many boat and yacht clubs a bit further from the city).

 Walking further towards the river mouth and the sea...

Föri, the famous ferry of Turku (well, famous at least in Turku...). Authorities have tried to close it several times, but never succeeded as it has something of a cult following in the town.

 Mid-July rush-hour traffic in Turku.

 A further view towards the mouth of river Aura - at least the guest harbor is busy and full of boat people on holidays.

One last glimpse from the river mouth towards the Turku Cathedral, before turning back for one of the cafés under the linden trees close to the library. 

 

 For more posts from Turku and areas nearby, do click "Finland" in the Label-section.

 

The UFO has landed...

I don't usually nick anyone's pictures, but will make an exception here out of nostalgic reasons. I am Finnish, after all.

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Just look at these visions of modern Finnish living in the 1960s; wasn't it a glorious time when the human race thought it was facing an endlessly bright future rendered possible by limitless technical and scientific development? Has my own generation managed to design anything as radically creative, ambitious and well, crazy? I don't think so. My personal favorite is the picture with two guys in the plastic sauna with their little globe heater. Just hilarious.

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From the landscaping point of view, if only the materials would be changed into something sustainable, these little UFOs would be very earth-friendly, leaving almost no footprint on the nature they float over. I can imagine one above a meadow of wild flowers, how extraterrestrially pretty. When I showed these to my girls, they wanted to have one directly. I wonder if there are any left, somewhere in the Finnish woods?

PS - Spett och Spade just published pictures of some cute space garden paintings; I've never seen a garden with space theme, but would love to see one...

Pehr Kalm's Sipsalo sold

Pehr Kalm's Sipsalo, the farm where he cultivated seeds from his botanical voyage as a disciple of Carl Linnaeus to North America in 1748-51, was sold in late July to a private owner. Appeals were made for the city of Turku to use its pre-emptive right to buy the property, but this week, Turku City made its final decision of not using this right, and leaving Sipsalo to its new owner. The new owner has expressed interest for the cultural history of the place and will hopefully at least not be doing any harm to the gardens. As is usual with historic places, the buildings are protected, but the garden (or what remains of it) is not.

Despite being overgrown and neglected, some plants from the time of Kalm still grow at Sipsalo, forming a living link to its past. As the only remaining site and garden where Pehr Kalm worked, Sipsalo represents an important piece of history of scientific, cultural and botanical relationships between Finland, Sweden and the United States. With its tight connection with the Linnaean legacy, it is a highly interesting and important site for botanists, garden historians and researchers internationally.

However culturally interested the new owner might be, Turku did lose a major opportunity for research and cultural exchange that otherwise could have taken place in Sipsalo. Sipsalo could have been a center where young and old students could have learned about botany and plants, and about the history of research and science. Exchange of students and researchers from different countries could have taken place here in the spirit of both Kalm and Linnaeus, and as a tribute to their contribution to botany and science. Now this possibility was lost. I truly hope that the new owner understands the value of Sipsalo, so that it will be saved to the future generations.

All posts of the passionate effort to save this 18th century garden for future generations I've been involved in:

Save the forgotten gardens of Pehr Kalm, August 2009
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Sipsalo, again, December 2009
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Late November is Sipsalo, December 2009
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Saving Sipsalo, one small step at a time, December 2010
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Delivered today: an international appeal to save Pehr Kalm's experimental garden in Sipsalo, March 2011 (details of international support and summary of articles up to that date that were published about Sipsalo)
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Still not giving up on Pehr Kalm's Sipsalo... August 2011 (about plants in Sipsalo)

Still not giving up on Pehr Kalm's Sipsalo...

A large oak stands in the far end of Pehr Kalm's experimental garden in Sipsalo; supposedly, it formed the end of the central axis of the garden. A long vertical scar runs through its trunk, so it was propably struck by lightning when young.

As some of you might know, Pehr Kalm's Sipsalo, the farm where he cultivated seeds from his botanical voyage to North America in 1748-51, was sold in late July for a new owner who wants to remain private. The Green Party has made an appeal for the city of Turku to use its pre-emptive right to buy the property, which is now being examined further. However culturally interested the new owner might be, in private hands we do lose a major opportunity for research and cultural exchange that otherwise could have taken place in Sipsalo. (To read about our passionate effort to save this 18th century garden for future generations, please start here.)

The main house at Sipsalo where Kalm worked; Siberian crab apples, Malus baccata: a large old Malus baccata that Carl Linnaeus loved still stands on the grounds of his farm called Hammarby in Sweden. He got the seeds from Finnish natural historian Eric Laxman, who served as a clergyman in Siberia in 1765. Could Kalm's trees be of the same origin?

Just before Sipsalo was sold, I made a summer excursion there with Katri Sarlund and Kalle Euro, who have both been very much involved in the project. During our short visit, we managed to find many plants directly connected to both Linnaeus and Kalm in the lush, jungle-like gardens. Only a plant detective with proper DNA-analyzing equipment could tell if these plants originate from Kalm's American seed collections or from Linnaeus' botanical gardens in Hammarby, but with their botanical and historical connections, I found it extremely exciting to find them growing in the middle of the neglected Sipsalo. 

The stables just outside Kalm's garden are from the 1930s and could be used as an excellent space for research and exhibitions; Amelanchier canadensis was on Kalm's original list of seeds that he brought from North America in 1751. Could these struggling self-seeded whips that we found in the garden be great-grandchildren of those seeds?

An old thicket of Siberian pea tree, Caragana arborecens, grows near the house in Sipsalo; Linnaeus had some growing in Hammarby, too. He was concerned about the large amount of trees cut down to build fences, and preferred living fences planted with these thorny shrubs.  

Crataegus coccinea (now C. flabellata var. grayana) was also on Pehr Kalm's list of seeds he imported from North America. Small plants grow abundantly in the woods of Sipsalo.

Musk strawberry, Fragaria moschata, and sweet cicely, Myrrhis odorata, are two plants that were commonly grown in gardens in the 18th century. Musk strawberries grow into large plants with hairy leaves, but they need both male and female plants to produce their delicious fruit, so they were replaced by new hybrids of the garden strawberry (F. x ananassa) in the 19th century. The scented leaves and stems of sweet cicely have been used for medicine and cooking. Musk strawberries and sweet cicely thrive also in the glades of Linnaeus' Hammarby, and maybe Linnaeus used them to treat his gout, as both plants were used to cure it in his time.

Roseroot, Rhodiola rosea, grows wild in Lappland, and Linnaeus used its Swedish name 'rosenrot' in 1755. It was used as a cure for arthritis and headache, and got its name after its roots, which could be destilled to produce rose-scented oils and waters.

Several huge old Salix purpurea and Salix viminalis grow in Sipsalo, planted in a similar manner as some Salix bushes at Hammarby. There is evidence that Kalm got cuttings from Linnaeus in 1771 (mentioned in a letter), and these bushes could be those same cuttings that have survived the time.

As you understand, I want to remain optimistic about the city of Turku acquiring Sipsalo, even if I feel that there might be little hope for it. Seeing what a national treasure Linnaeus' Hammarby is in Sweden, it would be highly regrettable to miss the chance of creating a similar monument for the history of botany, culture and science in Turku. I hope the decision makers will wake up, now.

Delivered today: an international appeal to save Pehr Kalm's experimental garden in Sipsalo

Sipsalo in late November 2009.

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Today, March 7th, an international appeal signed by some leading researchers, garden historians and writers in the United States, Sweden and Finland was delivered to Aleksi Randell, the Mayor of Turku, to Minna Arve, the Chairwoman of the City Board and to Seppo Lehtinen, the Chairman of the City Council.

This appeal explains the concern of the fate of Sipsalo, site for Pehr Kalm's experimental gardens, where he grew seeds and plants from his botanical expedition to North America in 1748-51. The owners of Sipsalo are planning to sell the farm that includes the lands and gardens of Sipsalo during this spring, and if no institutional buyer is found, Sipsalo and its culturally important associations with Pehr Kalm could be lost forever. The appeal asks the city of Turku to consider taking action to secure a safe future for Sipsalo.

My sister, Architect Hanna Euro delivered the signed document to the leaders of City of Turku. As a initiator of this appeal, I am greatly thankful for all signers for supporting this appeal. I would also like to thank my sister Hanna for all her research and work with the appeal, my brother Kalle Euro for helping with contacts within the management of City of Turku and the Finnish media, and Katri Sarlund from the Green Party of Turku for her support for this appeal.

I am very excited and hopeful for that this appeal will be an important step towards saving Sipsalo. I'll be back about all developments; keep your fingers crossed!

Latest news:

Vetoomus Pehr Kalmin puutarhan säilyttämiseksi Sipsalossa, (An appeal for saving Pehr Kalm's garden in Sipsalo), text and picture from the delivery of the address today, March 7, 2011

Turun johto saa vetoomuksen Sipsalon suojelun puolesta, (The leaders of Turku City receive an appeal to save Sipsalo), Turun Sanomat, March 7, 2011

Kansainvälinen adressi Sipsalon säilyttämiseksi, Turku TV, March 7, 2011 (Click on "Paikallisuutiset" dated March 7, 6:28 minutes into the sending)

Kalmin puutarha halutaan säilyttää, Radio Sata, March 8, 2011

Older articles about Sipsalo in Finnish press (in Finnish):
Kalmin salaisen puutarhan kohtalo auki, (The fate of Kalm's secret garden unclear), Turun Sanomat, August 28, 2009
Hirvensalon Sipsalo halutaan Ruotsissa Unescon listalle, (Sipsalo in Hirvensalo is wanted on Unesco's world heritage list), Turun Sanomat, November 30, 2009
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My earlier posts about Sipsalo:
Save the forgotten gardens of Pehr Kalm, August 2009
Sipsalo, again, December 2009
Late November is Sipsalo, December 2009
Saving Sipsalo, one small step at a time, December 2010
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The timeless grounds of Pukkila Manor

The kitchen garden at Pukkila, or Buckila Manor, with horseradish and cardoons growing in front of old fruit trees.

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While browsing through old photos, I stumbled upon some of Pukkila (or Buckila in Swedish) Manor, one of my favorite places near Turku in southwestern Finland. This beautiful estate and farm was named after the Bock family who owned it from 1540s until 1720s. In those days, Turku (or Åbo as it is called in Swedish) was the capital of Finland that formed the eastern part of the kingdom of Sweden; several members of the Bock family worked as high officials for the King's administration.

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Cabbages and onions take the front stage at the Pukkila gardens. Fire-engine red bee balm (Monarda) and other ornamentals can be seen nearer the house.

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The current, red-painted manor house with a heavy mansard roof was built in 1762. In its dignified simplicity, it is a handsome representative for the pared down Scandinavian rococo style typical for the period. Its deep red color is called 'Falu red' or Falu röd in Swedish, and it was used to imitate the fine brick houses of Stockholm and other larger cities (later, this copper based color became extremely popular and was used to paint smaller houses and even barns, a custom that Scandinavian emigrants took with them to their new homesteads on the other side of the Atlantic). Today, Pukkila Manor belongs to Finland's National Board of Antiquities, and it is meticulously restored and furnished as a 18th century family home.

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Entrance through the red picket fence to the kitchen gardens; tall hop-poles against the fields (I compressed these pictures for years ago so their quality is unfortunately poor).

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The gardens of Pukkila are skillfully tended and planted with herbs, vegetables and flowering plants that were popular in the 18th century. Old fruit trees and red-painted picket fences surround the lush kitchen gardens where cabbages and root vegetables play the leading roles once again. Sturdy hop-poles stand in attention against wide grain fields that separate Pukkila from the bustle of the surrounding world. Just some 20 minutes from the city centre, time seems to have forgotten its duties in Pukkila, making it an excellent destination for gardeners who are fond of time traveling.

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A well and outbuildings for housing workers and other personnel at Pukkila.

PS - Turku is a little, historic town where I spent the formative years between 11 and 22, and despite the many places I've lived in since then, I still usually call it my hometown. I've posted about some other favorites as Luostarinmäki, Sagalund and Källskär, just a few amongst many beautiful places there. This year, Turku shares with Tallinn the well-earned honor of being the European Capital of Culture, so despite the somewhat poor quality of the pictures, I wanted to show what kind of lovely scenes are waiting if your path ever takes you to the southern shores of Finland.

Saving Sipsalo, one small step at a time...

The main house of Sipsalo farm, where Pehr Kalm grew his North American plants in the 1750s.

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It is almost a year ago that I last wrote about Sipsalo, the forgotten gardens of botanical explorer Pehr Kalm.

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A student of Carl Linnaeus, Pehr Kalm was one of the lucky few who managed to return alive from his plant collecting tours, having visited the relatively safe target destination of North America in 1748-51. Back in Finland, he worked as a professor at the Turku Academy, dutifully propagating in Sipsalo his admirable collection of seeds of over 400 plants. Many of them failed in the harsh climate - for example, the utopian idea of establishing silk industry in Finland failed miserably as both the silkworms and mulberry trees soon froze to death - but some of them, like Parthenocissus vitacea (syn. P. inserta), Rubus odorata and Crataegus grayana, are now a common part of the flora of Finland.

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A small copper sign tells quietly about the fascinating past of Sipsalo.

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As I wrote a year ago, Sipsalo will be sold during next spring (2011) and its future remains uncertain. Since last November, many contacts have been taken on both sides of the Atlantic ocean. Many leading researchers, scientists and historians have taken a keen interest in Sipsalo and agreed on that Sipsalo has an inestimable value as a place where botanical, horticultural and scientific heritages of three countries, Finland, Sweden and the United States of America, touch each other.

During the past year, several Finnish organizations with potential capacity for owning and managing Sipsalo have been contacted. The local universities, the National Board of Antiquities and the Finnish Cultural Heritage Foundation have been some of the suitable candidates. The tough economic times have certainly played in as great interest have been shown by many, but so far, none of them has had the courage and money (a long time commitment like this demands a great deal of planning and resources) to buy Sipsalo, and secure its future for the coming generations. Understandable, but at the same time, very sad and disappointing.

A south-facing meadow and old apple trees in front of the buildings of Sipsalo.

For a while, I almost lost my hope for Sipsalo, and felt that maybe nothing will came out of all work that I and many others have done to rescue Sipsalo (for example, an article that I wrote about the international interest for Sipsalo was published in Turun Sanomat in June 2010 - all response was very positive, but there were no other immediate results). Then, last week I was told that Katri Sarlund from the city council of Turku had made an initiative that the city should purchase Sipsalo.

After contacting Katri, we agreed on that an international petition by the community of researchers, scientists and writers would be highly desirable, and probably effective in promoting the cause. So I wrote one, and so far, I've been very happy to receive great response from everyone I've contacted. In January, Turku City Council will receive an international petition letter for Sipsalo with a handsome list of supporters from three continents.

So no happy ending yet, but I do have high hopes for one. And even if the work in not quite done, I already admit that I have learned a lot during the process. Like that next time I try to save an old garden, I will go and take a lesson in community organizing first. Nevertheless, I am very glad that I've tried and I sincerely hope that Sipsalo at last will be saved to the coming generations. I will keep you posted.

An old oak tree planted by Pehr Kalm in the 18th century by the Aura river in Turku. The Botanical Gardens that surrounded the oak were destroyed in the 1960s. If Sipsalo is lost to new housing development, this old oak tree will be the only remaining evidence of and memorial to Kalm's work.

My three earlier posts about Sipsalo: Save the forgotten gardens of Pehr Kalm, August 2009. Sipsalo, again, December 2009. Late November in Sipsalo, December 2009.
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Unfortunately, my article in Turun Sanomat is not available on-line, and I haven't found a way to download the pdf here on my blog.

Please leave a comment if you need more information about Sipsalo.

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