VILLA DIDRICHSENIn the 1940´s the family lived in an residence on Merikatu 1 in Kaivopuisto. In the 1950´s the family wanted to have a house of their own built and decided to contact architect Alvar Aalto. Aalto recommended Viljo Revell, a well known architect in Finland at the time.In 1958 the Didrichsen family moved from the center of Helsinki to the new L-shaped Villa Didrichsen in Kuusisaari. Some years later Revell planned a museum-wing for the collection. He also designed the modern interior decoration and most of the furniture in Villa Didrichsen. Revell´s vision was to combine three elements - art, architecture and nature. The large windows brought together the outside and the inside. He used sculptures instead of flowerbeds to adorn the outside grounds. The latest technology was used in Villa Didrichsen, for example one of Finland's first dimmer systems was used in the winter garden. The equipment and the furniture of the kitchen were also very modern, with a garbage disposal system, a refridgerator, a dishwasher and a steam-remover system. Without anyone noticing, one could call the housemaid by pressing a button on the floor, under the teak dining room table. During the 1960´s the collection kept on growing and it needed more space. At a dinner party Ragni Cawén came up with the idea of a museum-wing. Even though the Didrichsens felt a bit dubious, Viljo Revell, who also attended the dinner party, presented his plan only one week later. Now the Didrichsens became enthusiastic and it was decided that the museum-wing would be built. It was also now that the Didrichsens came up with the idea of showing the collection to the public. The museum-wing was built in 1964 and the next year the museum was opened for the public. The building had the characteristics of a style called concrete brutalism. The opening of the Didrichsen Art Museum on the 16th of September 1965, with guests like president Kekkonen and his wife Sylvi, attracted a lot of attention in the media. |
