Visit to Hvittrask

Today we visited Hvittrask, the home of Eliel Saarinen around 1900. Saarinen was the designer of the Helsinki Railway station with the great men standing in front of it holding the lighted orbs. He designed a number of other buildings and homes around Finland, as well as teaching and designing the buildings at Cranbrook Arts Academy in Michigan. His son was a famous architect in the US, and designed the St Louis Arch.

Hvittrask was actually designed to be the home of three architects working together, Saarinen along with Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren. Saarinen seems like he was a pretty fun guy. With a liking for Scottish Whiskey, he put cast iron "Whiskey Rings" in his living room. The idea was that if you could still stand up, while holding onto one of the rings for support if need be, you could continue drinking.

There is also a rather beautiful stained glass window in the dining area depicting the story of Saarinen, Gesellius, and Saarinen's first wife Mathilda. Mathilda, married to Saarinen, fell in love with Geseillus. Saarinen falls for Geseillus' sister Loja. The various couples remarry the correct persons and continue to live and work together. Lindgren exits. Geseillus dies of Tuberculosis and Mathilda moves to the south of France.

The house and grounds were lovely, however. And it was a great day for a 25 km bike ride out there. We even got some work in during the afternoon. Those people do look like they are working don't they?

More Hvittrask photos here.