Villa Skeppet

Villa Skeppet was the last home Alvar Aalto designed. Almost all the ideas and solutions that Aalto developed during his career are seen in Villa Skeppet. Aalto designed this house in for his friends the author Göran Schildt and his wife Christine. Göran Schildt’s passions in life; sailing and his love for Mediterranean culture were taken into consideration when Aalto designed the architecture and the furnishings for Villa Skeppet. Villa Skeppet is situated on a nearly level, park-like site with a view across the eastern bay harbour of the idyllic small town.

The lower parts of the villa are built of white rendered brick, whereas the large, fan-like living room which rises above the entrance and garage front is a timber construction, clad with vertical weatherboarding. The living room, which opens onto a wedge-shaped balcony, has large landscape windows on the sea side and an open fireplace designed by Aalto as an abstract sculpture.

Göran Schild alongside with his wife would residence Villa Skeppet mainly during summer. For this reason, the building has retained nearly its original condition. Nowadays the building is owned by the The Christine and Göran Schildt Foundation. It opened its doors to public momentarily for the first time in 2018. After renovations Villa Skeppet will be open for public permanently in 2020.

The living room is integrated with the central hall by means of a common ceiling borne by monumental beams, open balustrades, and two stair landings. The hall also provides access to the author’s quiet study, the bedroom, and the combined dining room and kitchen. The sauna is in a separate wooden wing linked to the main building by a latticework wall and a baldachin, both in free form.

In the centre of the inner yard is an amoeba-shaped lily pond and behind it a shed with a summer dining room. A lot of attention were also given to the landscaping designs. The garden is shielded from view by several screens consisting of diagonally placed vertical boards.