Villa Mairea

About the museum

Villa Mairea in Noormarkku is a home designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto for Maire and Harry Gullichsen. It was built in 1937–1939 and was completed while the Gullichsens were in the United States; they first saw the house in photographs at the New York World’s Fair. The house is located on the Ahlström manor estate. The Ahlström family’s activities in Noormarkku began in 1870, when Antti Ahlström bought a local ironworks, a sawmill and forests.

Maire Gullichsen was the daughter of Walter Ahlström and a prominent patron and collector of art; she helped to found the furniture company Artek in 1935. In this project the Aaltos were given a rare opportunity to experiment, supported by Harry Gullichsen’s progressive thinking. Aino Aalto designed the interior and the furniture, which have been exceptionally well preserved. The villa combines natural forms, natural materials and details of craftsmanship with a functional modernism, and it is considered one of Alvar Aalto’s most important buildings.

Maire Gullichsen’s international art collection is still part of Villa Mairea. The collections include several thousand art and design objects, a library and an archive with thousands of photographs and tens of thousands of documents. The villa is maintained by the Villa Mairea Foundation, and the house is open to visitors as a museum. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Aalto works as a whole.

Highlights

• Villa designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1939
• Interiors and furniture designed by Aino Aalto
• Maire Gullichsen’s international art collection
• Courtyard area and museum shop
• UNESCO World Heritage site (the works of Aalto)

Operated by

Villa Mairea -säätiö

Admission & discounts

Tickets are bought in advance online. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded. Tours often sell out, and there is no waiting list.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Villa Mairea is not entirely step-free. From the car park there is a 300-metre climb along a gravel road. The main entrance has four slate steps, a landing and two steps without handrails; inside, four 14 cm steps lead from the lobby to the main floor where the tour takes place. Wheelchair users can enter through the office door (threshold 13 cm, narrowest door 82 cm), but the museum must be contacted in advance. There is no step-free toilet; visitors can use the building’s general toilet during the tour. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome, but this must be announced in advance. The tour is conducted standing, and there are four chairs between the rooms.

Kids & families

Children are welcome in the company of guardians; there is a reduced ticket for ages 7–15.

Getting there & parking

There are no signs to the villa from the main road 23. At the roundabout turn towards the centre of Noormarkku, turn left onto Isokoivukuja and, after about 600 metres, turn left onto Pikkukoivukuja.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Clothes and bags, including small ones, are left in the cloakroom for the duration of the tour. The museum shop and the courtyard area can be seen in connection with the tour.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit