Villa Mairea

Maire Gullichsen’s father, Walter Ahlström, served as Managing Director of the family company A. Ahlström Oy during the early decades of the 20th century. Harry Gullichsen came to Noormarkku in 1926 when he began his role as the company’s Sales Director. The marriage of Harry and Maire became a partnership that had a significant impact on Finnish art, architecture and modern culture. The Gullichsens became acquainted with architects Alvar and Aino Aalto in the 1930s, and the couples became close friends. In 1935, Maire, the Aaltos and Nils-Gustav Hahl founded the furniture company Artek. Villa Mairea was completed in 1939 while Maire and Harry Gullichsen were travelling in the United States. They saw their home finished for the first time through photographs at the New York World’s Fair. This stands as an early indication of the building’s international significance. The architect couple Aino and Alvar Aalto designed both the building and its interiors in their entirety. Today, Villa Mairea is owned by A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt Oy, which maintains the building and its surroundings with great ambition. The building houses the Villa Mairea Foundation, which is responsible for the cultural heritage values of the property and for presenting it to the public. The Villa Mairea Foundation owns the building’s art collections, original objects, libraries and archives. Villa Mairea is located in Noormarkku at the Ahlström Estate. The development of the area began in 1870, when Maire’s grandfather, the businessman Antti Ahlström, acquired the Noormarkku ironworks, sawmill and surrounding forest. The company grew rapidly, and under the leadership of Antti’s wife Eva Ahlström and later their son Walter Ahlström, it developed into Finland’s largest industrial enterprise, with operations focused in particular on the paper industry. The Ahlström family residences Isotalo and Havulinna represent earlier generations of the industrial community. Villa Mairea, commissioned by the Gullichsens, is the residence of the third generation of Managing Directors associated with the Ahlström company. The Noormarkku ironworks area is a historically and culturally significant ensemble. Other notable buildings in the area include the Club, the Head Office, officials’ villas and workers’ housing. The Makkarakoski sawmill operates as a sawmill museum, and the Ahlström Voyage exhibition, located in the former forge, presents the history and present day of the company, the family and the ironworks community. The history of the area can be explored in more detail on guided tours. Maire Gullichsen wished to bring the modern art she loved to Finland. The opportunity to organise art exhibitions led her to become involved in the founding of Artek in 1935. The Contemporary Art Society was established for the same purpose. Maire Gullichsen assembled an extensive art collection. She donated part of her collection to support the founding of the Pori Art Museum. A large part of the collection remained at Villa Mairea, which had become an important place not only for Maire herself but also as the home of the art collection. The Villa Mairea Foundation owns Maire’s international art collection and is responsible for its care. Maire Gullichsen actively promoted the establishment of an art museum in Pori. The museum, which focuses on contemporary art, is located approximately a 15-minute drive from Villa Mairea. Harry Gullichsen succeeded his father-in-law Walter Ahlström as Managing Director of A. Ahlström Oy in early 1932. He held this position until his death, developing in particular the company’s forestry industry and paper production. Harry Gullichsen had a strong interest in modern ways of living and in architecture. He commissioned his friend Alvar Aalto to design numerous buildings for the industrial communities of the Ahlström company. As a result of this collaboration, residential buildings for employees as well as industrial buildings were created in seve