VILLA KOKKONEN

ALVAR AALTO

ARCHITECT ALVAR AALTO

Alvar Aalto was born in Kuortane, Finland in 1898, the son of a surveyor. He graduated with
honors from Helsinki Polytechnic in 1921 after which he opened his own practice. He held
the position of Professor of Architecture at MIT 1946 to 1948, and was President of the
Academy of Finland 1963-68.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

Although his early works were of neoclassic style, he eventually

adapted the symbolism and functionalism of the Modern
Movement to generate his plans and forms.
Aalto's mature work embodies a unique functionalist/expressionist
and humane style, successfully applied to libraries, civic centers,
churches, housing, etc.
A synthesis of rational with intuitive design principles allowed Aalto
to create a long series of functional yet non-reductionist buildings.
Alvar Aalto generated a style of functionalism which avoided
romantic excess and neoclassical monotony.
Although Aalto borrowed from the International Style, he utilized
texture, color, and structure in creative new ways.
He refined the generic examples of modern architecture that
existed in most of Europe and recreated them into a new Finnish
architecture.
Aalto's designs were particularly significant because of their
response to site, material and form.

VILLA KOKKONEN
Architect Alvar Aalto
Client Joonas Kokkonen (composer,
pianist and scholar)
Period Of Construction 1967-1969
Locality Jrvenp, Finland
Building Style Organic Architecture
Inspirations - Aalto House, Villa
Mairea And Maison Louis Carr
Current use - The villa is A museum
open to visitors and live performances
by its occupants Elina Vitalia pianist
and opera singer Antti A. Pesonen

DESIGN CONCEPT
Aalto designed the villa as a
personal favor for his friend Joonas
Kokkonen.
Drawing upon the ideas and experiences
inspired by Aalto House, Villa Mairea and
Maison Louis Carr, it was Alvar Aaltos
aim to create for his friend, Mr. Joonas
Kokkonen, a unique residence where
nature and human everyday life
would be blended together with a
crossover of two forms of art
modern music and modern
architecture.
The starting point for the floor plan was to
design a space for the grand piano,
proving how important the music would be
in the design and life of the villa.
This naturally had an effect on the
arrangement of the other rooms.

PLANNING

It was built on a wooded plot that slopes down westward.

The plan is simple in its structure.
There are three structures: from the villa proper, a sloping pergola
leads to the sauna and irregular swimming pool; the shed-like garage
stands separate by the access road.

MAIN BUILDING AND SAUNA

The main building reflects its three
different functions: the music studio
rises up higher than the other parts, a
smaller section containing the
combined living room and dining
room with a skylight above the dinner
table,
Finally, the intimate area , the
bedroom, the kitchen, the toilets ...
One of them had to be reformed before
the visit of the Empress of Japan.
The sauna - essential element in
culture also has a space for guests and
toilets.
The simple facades are covered
with narrow strips of dark stained
wood and details inspired by songs.

AESTHETICS - EXTERIORS
Hidden among a clump of trees, the
villa has no ostentatious facades: in
fact it makes a decidedly introverted
impression
An unexpected element in the Villa is
the canopy.
In all his previous works Aalto gave
no importance to this kind of exterior
ornaments leaving the entrance
clean, following the Scandinavian
principle -and his personal
belief- the most important part of
the house is the inner
space connected with the outside
through the windows making the
garden part of the house itself instead
of the facade.

AESTHETICS INTERIOR DECOR

The heart of the house was the Atelier
Aalto used wooden materials that had
great acoustic isolation qualities for the
interior surfaces of the studio but that also
created a strong contrast with the dark exterior.
The atelier space is divided in two main parts,
the darkest corner is furnished with
the grand piano while the more bright part
-close to the big windows and the fireplace- is
the conversation and relaxation area furnished
with a big leather sofa.
The fireplace has the same hill landscape
motif that Aalto used for the canopy.
Villa Kokkonen has another peculiarity of the
Aaltos works, the hanging lamps on the dining
table from the skylightas an ideal
continuation of the daily light during the
evenings.

CHARACTER
The character of the house is revealed inside:
it is like a delicate music box.
The spacious music studio constituting its
main theme.
With its vertical windows suggestive of
religious architecture, its linen-clad walls,
and its bellied acoustic 'sail' in the ceiling,
this room was intended not only to help the
composer concentrate on his work but also to
enable him to arrange intimate concerts of
chamber music, during which the heavy,
soundproof door of the living room would be
closed.
Meanwhile, the family could carry on with
their everyday life in the other parts of the
comfortable home.

AESTHETICS
COLOURS Dark stained wood
panels used for the exteriors as
well as flooring
CONTRAST Interior walls
were made of light coloured
wood with acoustic isolation
properties
SHAPES- Organic hill
landscape shape found in the
canopy and fireplace, due to his
interest in natural and organic
forms
LIGHT Light entered the
interiors through large windows
and skylights in the roof

SOUTH ELEVATION