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This case study project focuses on the analysis of the structural and spatial conditions of Villa Mairea, designed by Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto. This guest-house, constructed from 1938 to 1939, was originally commissioned by Harry and Maire Gullischen in Noormarkku, Finaland. Today, it serves as a significant dwelling in architectural history and Aalto’s career as it marked the transition from traditional to modern architecture.
An important aspect of the project is the transformation of materials—including the wooden columns—and the experiences created by them while they form walls and fences throughout the villa. From the front door to the interior of the house, the materiality of the floor changes, causing the spaces to become more domestic and intimate. Aalto’s intentions with taking advantage of the natural environment was to blur the lines between being inside and outside. This can be identified in multiple aspects of the house as it takes the shape of its surroundings: the canopy connecting to the flat expanses of the site and the curves of the pool’s lines taking the shape of the surrounding forest. The spatial layering of the villa reveals the major subdivisions of the building’s primary levels while reinforcing its predominant rectilinear directions. The layering of the structure also creates a division between private and public spaces. The first level, located along the edge of a courtyard and pool, is comprised of the most communal spaces — such as the dining room, living room, and garden room — while the second is composed of bedrooms and more personal spaces. |