Alvar Aalto´s Villa Kokkonen
Alvar Aalto´s Villa Kokkonen
4.5
About
Villa Kokkonen is a historic building designed by world-famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1967. The house is situated on top of the hill sloping down towards Lake Tuusula which is one of the most well-known areas in the cultural history of Finland. To have almost 10 000 square meters in the site really gives our visitors a marvelous possibility to study, reflect and/or just purely enjoy Alvar Aalto's architecture from every possible angle, from near and far. During our guided walking tours we allow our visitors to take exterior photos of the house and photos of the garden to serve their private, professional or commercial interests. Alvar Aalto's masterpieces include private houses such as Villa Mairea (Noormarkku), Aalto House (Helsinki) and Villa Kokkonen. Designed originally for music, Villa Kokkonen has been a wonderful architectural and cultural attraction since June 2009. Pianist Elina Viitaila and opera singer Antti A. Pesonen keep on working day and night as Villa Kokkonen's hosts, guides, artists and entrepreneurs. They were chosen as The Cultural Persons of the Year 2014 in the City of Järvenpää. Alvar Aalto's Villa Kokkonen is open for individual visitors and groups by reservation throughout the year. In addition to that, the attraction arranges - especially in June,July and August 2016 - several regular guided tours which are open to the public.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
34 reviews
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Special_SKay
Heidelberg, Deutschland17 contributions
Dec 2019
Visited Villa Kokkonen in winter in a group of friends. Antti in his full passion showed and explained us Villa Kokkonen from outside, the garden and inside, while Elina was preparing amazing typical Finnish food. Together they gave us a small concert filled with emotion and later we had the tasty food and could talk to Elina and Antti. These were wonderful, so diverse hours in a special place with so passionate Elina and Antti. Definetly recommend visiting Elina and Antti in Villa Kokkonen.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna-Kaisa S
Kerava, Finland81 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
This is absolutely a hidden gem! Villa Kokkonen is a 50-years old villa at Lake Tuusula designed by famous Alvar Aalto for the composer Joonas Kokkonen. The villa is a lovely combination of private home and a concert hall. Today the villa is owned by City of Järvenpää and hosted by Elina Viitaila and Antti Pesonen. For 10-years this couple has arranged guided tours at the house where they live. The tours are run with a big heart and enthusiasm. The visit ends to a mini concert and coffee/tea serving with marvelous homemade cake.
Written 28 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mika P
Jarvenpaa, Finland91 contributions
Dec 2013
I have visited in Villa Kokkonen three times. Need to say that I have enjoyed every time and every moments while I was there. Villa Kokkonen is unique combination of music, archtecture and hospitaly. Elina and Antti - thank you!
Written 26 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnneLRooney
Chicago, IL144 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
A visit to Villa Kokkonen, designed by legendary Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto for his friend, composer Joonas Kokkonen in 1969, was one of the highlights of our 2-week trip to Finland! This modernist gem in the woods is about a 45-minute drive north of Helsinki and for the past 5 years has been managed by a delightful and talented musical couple who live in it -- Elina (piano) and Antti (opera). First our party of three had an informative one-hour tour of the lovely house and grounds by Antti. Following the tour, Elina and Antti demonstrated the beauty and acoustic perfection of the music room (which Aalto specifically designed for his friend's music) by giving us a 20-minute performance. It was both acoustically marvelous and magical! After the concert, we enjoyed coffee and cake prepared by Elina, looking out over Lake Tuusula from the Villa Kokkonen living room. There is also a lovely gift shop on the premises, with books and products about and designed by Aalto, along with handicrafts designed by Elina.
We recommend that a trip to Villa Kokkonen be combined with a visit to nearby Ainola, the home of Jean Sibelius, as well as to Hvitträsk, the early 20th century studio home of another legendary Finnish architect, Eliel Saarinen. All could be easily done in one day. Note that tours of Villa Kokkonen need to be advance arranged by appointment, but Elina and Antti were very responsive to our request with a few hours.
Villa Kokkonen is NOT to be missed by any fan of modern/mid-century architecture and music. Highly recommend!
We recommend that a trip to Villa Kokkonen be combined with a visit to nearby Ainola, the home of Jean Sibelius, as well as to Hvitträsk, the early 20th century studio home of another legendary Finnish architect, Eliel Saarinen. All could be easily done in one day. Note that tours of Villa Kokkonen need to be advance arranged by appointment, but Elina and Antti were very responsive to our request with a few hours.
Villa Kokkonen is NOT to be missed by any fan of modern/mid-century architecture and music. Highly recommend!
Written 4 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CaB41
Kerava53 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
Alvar Aalto built this home for his friend, the composer Joonas Kokkonen. The villa is situated on the shore of Lake Tuusula, with a nice view over the meadow and lake. Since five years back the Villa Kokkonen is part of the artist colony by the pond (also including for instance Ainola and Halosenniemi museums). The building is a small architectural gem "erected around a grand piano", as the story goes. The curates are Elina Viitaila and Antti A. Pesonen, both professional musicians, that do not let you out before you have experiences the splendid acoustics of the music studio. The Villa Kokkonen is a multi purpose cultural centre.
Written 24 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark H
Portland, OR16 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
My husband and I discovered the Villa Kokkonen while researching our trip to Finland. The villa, designed in the late 60s by internationally recognized architect Alvar Aalto for Finnish composer Jonas Kokkonen, overlooks Lake Tuusula, former home of composer Jean Sibelius and his wife Aino as well as several other artists and writers from Finland’s Golden Age. This gem is now in the care of two musicians who provide informative tours of the villa by reservation only and end each tour with a performance in the acoustically amazing studio/small concert “hall” that Aalto designed around the room’s grand piano. We were surprised about the poor publicity the Visit Lake Tuusula Association and the Alvar Aalto Association provide about this gem but strongly recommend it to those who want to see and experience Aalto’s domestic architecture so “well-tuned” to its beautiful, rural setting.
Written 28 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SDWashingtonDC
Washington, DC19 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
The combination of an informative tour of an iconic house by a great architectural master, lovely gardens and grounds, a beautiful musical concert, and the warm hospitality of Elina and Antti made our visit to Villa Kokkonen very special and a wonderful experience we will never forget. Rarely do you get to see an architectural masterpiece come alive in the way Villa Kokkonen does because of the loving attention of these musician caretakers/hosts. Having visited Sibelius' house that same morning, hearing Antti's rendition of "Finlandia" at the end of the afternoon was very moving. Don't miss the opportunity to come here, there's nothing else like it! And if you are planning to come and it's a nice day, while it's a longish walk from town or especially between the Sibelius house and Villa Kokkonen, it's quite a pleasant and pretty walk. Otherwise you might want a taxi or have a car.
Written 4 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Orvokki2014
Kerava, Finland13 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
Genious architelture by Alvar Aalto! Introduction of the premises opened the details even to a non-professional. The visit always includes Finnish music by the host couple. Warmly recommended!
Written 24 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nocatnow
Melbourne, Australia796 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
Our group of 20 Australians were on a tour that showed us the best of Scandinavia and Iceland's art, design and nature. Surely there was no more appropriate place to take us than Villa Kokkonen, a house designed by Alvar Aalto for a Finnish composer.
The house is leased by opera singer Antti Pesonen and his partner Elina Vitaila, a concert pianist. Their enthusiasm for the house is contagious.
The visit started with a tour of the outside, where Antti pointed out various architectural features of the house and made many mentions of the fact the garden had been 'a jungle' before the couple tackled it. Photos of the exterior of the house do not really do it justice. It's much more interesting in reality. We compared it to houses designed by Australian architect Robin Boyd, at a similar time. Similar features for the late 1950s early 60s. Highly functional and making the most of light and space.
Inside the house is mostly blonde wood. The living room features a grand piano. Antti sang and Elina played for us. They were really good musicians.
We were then treated to a lunch prepared by Elina. There were different kinds of herrings in delicious sauces accompanied by small boiled potatoes, a pasta dish, and several salads. Dessert was the house specialty: chocolate apple cake. Delicious.
We loved the over-the-top enthusiasm of the duo and were pleased Academy Travel had allowed us the experience of visiting Villa Kokkonen.
The house is leased by opera singer Antti Pesonen and his partner Elina Vitaila, a concert pianist. Their enthusiasm for the house is contagious.
The visit started with a tour of the outside, where Antti pointed out various architectural features of the house and made many mentions of the fact the garden had been 'a jungle' before the couple tackled it. Photos of the exterior of the house do not really do it justice. It's much more interesting in reality. We compared it to houses designed by Australian architect Robin Boyd, at a similar time. Similar features for the late 1950s early 60s. Highly functional and making the most of light and space.
Inside the house is mostly blonde wood. The living room features a grand piano. Antti sang and Elina played for us. They were really good musicians.
We were then treated to a lunch prepared by Elina. There were different kinds of herrings in delicious sauces accompanied by small boiled potatoes, a pasta dish, and several salads. Dessert was the house specialty: chocolate apple cake. Delicious.
We loved the over-the-top enthusiasm of the duo and were pleased Academy Travel had allowed us the experience of visiting Villa Kokkonen.
Written 9 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kaisaes
Espoo, Finland3 contributions
Sept 2018 • Family
This place is excellent for a tour visit, a concert visit or to arrange an event. The combination or architecture and music is great and the food served (on pre-order) is wonderful. And there is also a nice shop where you can buy lovely items.
Written 4 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tervehdys Heikki,
bussi 21 kulkee MA-LA reittiä Järvenpään rautatieaseman ja Terveyskeskuksen välillä. Matka kestää kymmenisen minuuttia. Terveyskeskuksen pysäkiltä on n. 400 metriä Villa Kokkoseen. Kävelyreitin varrella tulee ensimmäisenä vastaan Vanhankylän kartano. Tulemme julkaisemaan maaliskuussa juna-aikataulun (Hki-Järvenpää-Hki) ja bussiaikataulun (Järvenpään rautatieasema - Terveyskeskus - Jpään rautatieasema) myös nettisivustollamme.
Terveisin,
Elina ja Antti
Villa Kokkonen
Written 18 March 2015
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