Aalto Experimental House, Muuratsalo

Through my student days and the many books and photographs I've seen, I though I knew this project pretty well. It turned out I didn't.

I was told to show up at 10am at the entrance into the site from the main road. The number 16 bus which originates in Jyvaskyla and stops in Säynätsalo took me to the last stop in Muuratsalo before turning around. I got off at the little grocery/post office /pub in Muuratsalo. From there it is a short walk, maybe 5-10 min. to the main timber gates leading into the forest to the Experimental House. When I arrived the tour guide and a swiss architect couple were waiting for me.

Mirkka, the tour guide told me that they had about 3000 visitors last year. Due to the number of visitors they've had to clearly mark a path to the house through the forest to minimize the impact on the landscape. We were first shown the larch clad enclosure that houses the boat Aalto designed for getting to and from the island.

When it was built in 1952-54, roads to the site did not exist. The original intended way of arriving to the house was by boat. We were then shown the sauna. It was noted that Aalto was not a big fan of the sauna. The sauna has a green roof which helps to keep moisture and prevent the sauna from catching fire. It takes 4 hours to heat the sauna, during which time the internal space is filled with smoke. When it is hot enough a small hatch is opened to allow the smoke to escape, the sauna is ready to use once smoke is emptied. Must be quite an experience.

The house itself is a lot smaller than I had imagined. Proportions are nearly perfect, except the bedrooms seemed really cramped for their guests and the family. I was told that Elissa, Aalto's 2nd wife was a few years younger than Aalto. There is a small half door leading from their bedroom into the courtyard. My tour guide noted that when Aalto was asked what he was thinking when he designed the door he said, "it's for Elissa's lovers to be able to make a quick escape when I arrive unexpectedly to the house". Not sure that's true.

I saw this feature again in the Aalto House/Studio in Helsinki.

There is a small ladder up to a small door into a storage room which leads out into the first floor balcony space and bedrooms. I was told again by the tour guide at the house that Aalto liked to escape from his employees without being noticed.

The brick work on the main entrance facade reads more like a wall of brick control samples...I like it. It's a very busy facade and yet I think it still works compositionally. It's interesting to see some of the brick patterns that were used here showing up on later buildings such as the House of Culture and his own studio/house in Helsinki.