Comment: The embassy had a variety of food items and there were several talks by, among others, Pekku Lintu, the ambassador of Finland.
During the event, they were having an exhibition in the embassy called "My Paradise". Here's the description from their web site at http://www.finland.org/en/
My Paradise-exhibit presents the beautiful summer villas of renowned Finnish architects
When some of the most well-known Finnish architects design their most important buildings - their private summer villas - what will the end result be? MY PARADISE -exhibit, on display at the Finnish embassy in Washington DC from April 25th, sheds light on this and the importance that summer homes - kesämökit - have in Finnish culture.
“There is only one thing that I as an architect do not regret, and that is my villa.” (Lars Sonck, 1870–1956)
This exhibition represents a unique opportunity to experience the summer homes of Finland’s most renowned architects. In fact, you will find the architects “present” in their buildings through these significant works. All twenty architects being showcased belong among the most prominent names in modern Finnish 20th century architecture.
The exhibition consists of new photographs by photographer Jari Jetsonen and of original drawings and historical photographs from collections of private individual architects, the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Alvar Aalto Museum. A significant addition to the exhibition is provided by scale models and films.
“Twenty years ago we attended our friends' wedding at a summer house of a well-known architect. We noticed that the house differed from his other production, and when we asked about it, we heard what he had said: 'I've been able to build all my romantic dreams into my summer house.'"
"This idea was left simmering. In the summer of 1996, we were offered a chance to spend a week at a summer house of Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), the most renowned Finnish architect of all time. The atmosphere and his personal belongings opened up a unique world. It was this atmosphere that triggered the idea of an exhibition and a book.”
A summer house holds a very special place in Finnish culture. It is a place of relaxation and quiet retreat to nature. It is also a place where architects either further develop new ideas or crystallize essential themes from their other designs. These germs of ideas and past memories are paralleled in this exhibition.
MY PARADISE consists of new photographs by photographer Jari Jetsonen and historical photographs from the collections of the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Alvar Aalto Museum and private architects. The scale models made by the architecture students of the University of Tulan bring an important addition to the exhibition as well as a film by Anssi Blomstedt Alvar Aalto's Journey to the Summer. The Muuratsalo Experimental House.
The exhibition is curated and designed by photographer Jari Jetsonen and architect Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen, who also wrote the exhibition texts. Their book, Finnish Summer Houses, published in 2008 by Princeton Architectural Press coincides with the exhibition.
The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Alvar Aalto Museum. It is funded by the Greta and William Lehtinen Foundation, The National Council for Architecture, Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Embassy of Finland in Washington DC.
MY PARADISE: A Hundred Years of Finnish Architects' Summer Homes
Photographs – Films – Scale models
Embassy of Finland, 3301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC
April 25 – June 8
Open daily 1 – 4:30 pm, free admission
PLEASE NOTE: The exhibit is closed April 29 - May 1, May 8 and May 30.
Summer homes in the exhibition:
1. Lasse's Villa, Lars Sonck 1895
2. Pulkanranta, Eliel Saarinen 1900–1901
3. Villa Oivala, Oiva Kallio 1924
4. Villa Flora, Aino Marsio-Aalto 1926, 1938
5. Villa Huttunen, Erkki Huttunen 1937–1938
6. The Blue House, Johan Sigfrid Sirén 1938–1939
7. Villa Silla, Kaj Englund 1947
8. Experimental house, Alvar Aalto 1952–1954
9. Summer Cabin, Bertel Saarnio 1955
10. Villa Skata, Heikki and Mirja Castrén 1955, 1962–1967
11. The Pulkkinen Summer Cabin, Mikko Pulkkinen 1967
12. Lingonsö Holiday Island, Kaija and Heikki Siren 1966–1969
13. The Ruusuvuori Cabin and Sauna, Aarno Ruusuvuori 1968
14. The Ilonen Holiday Cabin, Pirkko and Arvi Ilonen 1970
15. Mäyrämäki Sauna, Raili and Reima Pietilä 1985
16. Leisure Studio, The Group: Tirkkonen, Liimatainen, Kakko, Laine 1991–1992
17. Villa Sara, Pekka Pitkänen 1994
18. Summer Cottage, Juhani Pallasmaa 1991–1995
19. Holiday Home, Kristian Gullichsen 1996
20. Villa Aulikki, Erkki Kairamo, Aulikki Jylhä 1986–2003a
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