Architects on holiday: Aalto to Asuntomessut

One of the curses of being an architect is that it is pretty hard to get away from the stuff (architecture that is) unless you go camp in the wilderness somewhere - but even the tent is an ingenious tensile fabric structure... Well getting out of the urbs will come later, but on this little cultural tour of westen Finland we managed to pack in plenty of architectural sightseeing.

First off (Monday) we stopped in Seinäjoki to see not the Tango festival, but the central civic area - church, library, town hall, theatre and town square all to the masterplan and design of Alvar Aalto between 1951-87. The region is known for it's flat plains, so it interesting that a striking feature of the design (after the 65m high church tower) are the artificial hills for the church lawn and town hall.

Seinäjoki Town Hall with Church of the Plains behind

Seinäjoki Town Hall, Aalto Civic Centre

Tuesday we visited the Asuntomessut (housing fair) in Vassa. This is a annual event showcasing a housing development, from one-off architect designed houses, to apartments and family homes. This years site, a curving waterfront development, has pushed the balance towards the one-off houses after last years larger and more sub/urban site. To be honest there was only one house that really stood out, but some of the more modest houses (in sixes or fours to a court) where also very impressive compared with the typical UK development. I should also say the site was packed with families, not just 'trade' visitors like us.

The fancy bit of the Asuntomessut, Vasaa

Our favorite house, somewhere behind the crowds...

Thursday: After the visit to the folk festival (see separate post) the night before, we went back to the Folk Art Museum in Kaustinen and got a look round, including the auditorium buried in the rock of the hill side. Completed in 1998 it shows the Finns have no fear of using contemporary architecure to give a home to their traditional culture, and was described as a 'Finnish Acropolis' in AR.

Kaustinen Folk Art Centre

After the lull for the Jazz we find the smaller Lomas (holiday home) exhibition outside Pori on Sunday.

Lomas (holiday home) exhibition house, near Pori

But the best is saved to last, as on Monday we head to Noormarkku for a guided tour of Villa Mairea. Built in 1939 for the Gullichsen's this is seen as one of Aalto's main works (with Aino, Alvar's wife contributing considerably), and doesn't dissapoint 70 years later - rivalling the Picasso's kept on it's walls as a work of art. We can only see the main 'public' reception rooms as the family still use the house, but these are so rich in subtle detail an hour is easily filled.

Villa Mairea, Noormarkku (not my video BTW, we weren't even allowed to take photos inside)

I suppose the real curse is on the non-architects (sorry Bore) who get dragged round various buildings, and put up with extensive photographic essays of obscure modernist sites... 

Well you could always go camping instead.