Meilahden huvila-alue (Mejlans villaområde)

English translation (from the Finnish)

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Description

The Meilahti villa area, which has developed outside the city since the end of the 19th century, reflects the showy villa culture of its era. The area contains the official residences of the country's highest officials: Kesäranta, Tamminiemi and Mäntyniemi.

The main and side buildings of the Meilahti estate, dating from the early 19th century, are located near the shore of Saunalahti. Much of the estate's once extensive landscape park has been preserved, and its surviving structures include the terrace by the shore with its steps descending to the water, and the early 19th-century garden pavilion in the present-day garden of Tamminiemi, to which a direct park path led from the estate's main building. South of the main building of the Meilahti estate, in the park, is the city art museum, dating from the 1970s.

The Meilahti villa area has dozens of villas. The oldest of them, dating from the 19th century, are characterised by decorative details, balconies, verandas and towers. The parks and gardens of the villas represent the garden culture of their time.

Kesäranta, the official residence of the Prime Minister, is one of the oldest villas in the area; it was built in 1873. The main building is a two-storey wooden villa with a tower and decorative features. The yard also includes a shore sauna built in the 1950s, as well as an outbuilding, a vahtitupa, a garden pavilion, a jetty and a tennis court.

Villa Nissen, completed in 1904, was Meilahti's first villa built of brick. It was the official residence of the President of the Republic, under the name Tamminiemi, in 1940-81. Especially during the presidency of Urho Kekkonen, Tamminiemi has been closely associated with the political and administrative history of Finland. From 1987, Tamminiemi has been presented to the public as the Urho Kekkonen Museum, shown in the appearance of President Kekkonen's era. In addition to the main building, the park-like plot also contains, among other buildings, a shingle-roofed wooden staff residence, to which a log shore sauna built during the Kekkonen era is attached as an extension.

The official residence of the President of the Republic, completed in 1993, stands at Mäntyniemi, on a promontory jutting into the sea. Alongside the official residence are the gate and outbuildings. The residence, which dominates the site, contains the President's private residence, reception rooms, an office wing and the staff's premises. The buildings of Mäntyniemi follow the forms of the bedrock and vegetation of the site; the facades are of red granite from Viitasaari. The residence's rooms open onto the sea. In its exterior silhouette, the reception rooms appear tall, while the living quarters are low and horizontal.

History

The oldest buildings in the Meilahti villa area belonged to the Meilahti estate, whose farm, located in the area, is mentioned as early as 1476. Meilahti was owned by Governor-General Fabian Steinheil in the 1820s. The landscape park to the south of the surviving main building extended as far as the present Tamminiemi plot, in whose garden there is possibly an Empire-style garden pavilion called Solkku, built by Steinheil in the 1820s.

The City of Helsinki bought the Meilahti estate in 1871 and divided the southern peninsula of Meilahti into seven villa plots to be rented out. Toivola and Kesäranta were built first, in the 1870s. Plots 5-8 were leased and built on after 1884. Plots 11-21 were formed in 1892. The main building and an outbuilding of the Meilahti estate remained on plot 21, which was named Villa Bredablick. Other buildings of the estate were also divided into plots, such as 18 Sommarro. In 1900 and 1910, further plots were formed, so that the lands of the Meilahti estate made up a villa area of 34 plots in all.

There were no regulations on the construction of residential villas (bostadsvilla) on the plots, for summer recreation or for year-round living. In practice, the area located at the end of a road and waterway from the city first became a summer settlement, but year-round, the area was inhabited from the outset by at least caretakers. The main building was usually accompanied by a few outbuildings, ancillary buildings and a garden. Villas founded from the 1910s onwards were built for year-round residential use. Many practitioners of science and the arts have lived in the villas designed by architects and master builders, including architect Gustaf Nyström, composer Ilmari Hannikainen and writer Maila Talvio.

Kesäranta, the official residence of the Prime Minister, was built in 1873 and named Bjällbo. Kesäranta was originally the summer villa of architect F.L. Calonius. After the villa passed in 1887 to C. R. Ignatius, cashier of the Suomen Pankki (Bank of Finland), master builder Elia Heikel designed for the building, among other things, a 20-metre-high observation tower and a porch on the sea side. The state acquired the villa in 1904 as the summer residence of the governor-general. Architect Jac. Ahrenberg made changes to Kesäranta; the largest additions were a kitchen wing and a glazed veranda on the sea side. During independence, Kesäranta has served as the official residence of the Prime Minister. Kesäranta underwent thorough renovation in 1981-83. In its exterior, the main building was restored to its most extensive form, in which it had been at the beginning of the century. This meant rebuilding the observation tower and porch, which had been demolished in the 1950s.

Villa Ekudden was built in 1889 to designs by architect Gustaf Nyström for municipal mayor Elias Öhman. Öhman sold Tamminiemi in 1902 to wholesale merchant Jörgen Nissen, who had a new stone villa built on the site to a design by Sigurd Frosterus and Gustaf Strengell of 1903. The villa passed to businessman and publisher Amos Anderson in 1924. In 1940 he donated it to the state as a weekend residence for the President. Kyösti Kallio did not live at Tamminiemi, but Risto Ryti lived there in 1941-44. During Mannerheim's period, 1944-46, a rock shelter was built beneath the main building, and a classicising guardhouse was built beside Seurasaarentie, which has served, among other things, as a ticket sales pavilion.

Tamminiemi was renovated in 1956 to become the President's principal official residence. The lakeshore sauna was built in 1956 (architects Kokko & Kokko) and the swimming pool section in 1969. A major renovation of the main building was carried out in 1974. The outbuilding dates from the early 20th century; the drawings for the extension of its board-walled part from 1915 are by Albert Nyberg. During Kekkonen's term of office, 1956-1981, Tamminiemi was at the centre of Finnish political life. Kekkonen's book published in 1980, which has been called his political testament, was titled Tamminiemi. After Urho Kekkonen stepped down from the presidency in 1981, Tamminiemi was his private home. After Kekkonen's death in 1986, Tamminiemi was established as the Urho Kekkonen Museum, which also presents the history of Finland's independence period.

The presidential official residence designed by Raili and Reima Pietilä was completed at Mäntyniemi in 1993. The Pietiläs are known for works experimenting with organic forms, such as Dipoli in Otaniemi and the Metso main library in Tampere. The furnishing of the main rooms of the official residence was designed by the interior architecture firm Antti Paatero. The textiles of these rooms were designed by Irma Kukkasjärvi. The green plan for the largely natural area is by landscape architect Maj-Lis Rosenbröijer. On the site of Mäntyniemi stood the Nybacka villa, completed on the plot in 1885 to designs by architect Theodor Decker. The City of Helsinki bought the villa in 1974. The building was moved in the mid-1980s to Heikinniementie in Meilahti. Only the garden pavilion remains of the Nybacka villa.

The white-brick exhibition building of Taidemuseo Meilahti was completed in 1976 in the villa area. It was designed by architect Tero Aaltonen to display collections that were originally received as a donation.