Villa Mairea bans interior photography for privacy and preservation

Visitors may not photograph inside Villa Mairea, the home in Noormarkku, Pori, which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in July as part of the 13-site Aalto Works ensemble, Yle reports.

Photography is unrestricted outside the building, which was completed in 1939. Inside, visitors must remove their shoes and join a guided tour.

Saida Isokallio, executive director of the Villa Mairea Foundation, said the ban took effect as digital cameras became widespread. Initially, the main reason was the Gullichsen family’s wish to protect the privacy of their home. The family still has private rooms that visitors cannot enter.

Maire Gullichsen first opened the house to visitors during summer exhibitions in the 1970s. Guided tours began later.

A calmer visit without cameras

The photography ban also helps tours run smoothly, Isokallio said. Villa Mairea is a private residence rather than a large museum, and keeping visitors together in a reasonably compact group makes guiding easier.

The house contains valuable works of art, including Pablo Picasso ceramics that could not be replaced even with money. The family has nevertheless wanted some objects to remain outside display cases.

Visitors may be surprised by the ban, but few complain. Without cameras, they can focus on the architecture and the details of the house.

“In today’s world, it is very calming, even meditative. We receive positive feedback about the atmosphere,” Isokallio said.

Rules vary at other Aalto Works sites

The Aalto Works sites set their own photography restrictions.

At Sunila in Kotka, a residential area built around a former pulp mill, exterior photography is allowed at the many houses designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto, according to the Pro Sunila association. Interior photography requires permission from the owners, but this has not caused problems, said Anne Stocker, the association’s chair.

Visitors on guided tours at Paimio Sanatorium may take photographs for private use. Photography is not allowed in the sanatorium chapel.

Kela’s headquarters in Helsinki, designed by Aalto, will be accessible through a virtual tour to be released during the autumn. The building remains in active use as Kela’s office premises, so public visits cannot currently be arranged.

The aim is to allow free access to architecturally significant parts of the headquarters after a possible renovation. Photography would also be permitted in those areas.

Visitors knew about the ban in advance

Pirjo and Raimo Pöntynen from Helsinki learned about the photography ban beforehand from Villa Mairea’s information page online.

“The photography ban did not give me any negative thoughts,” Raimo Pöntynen said.

Pirjo Pöntynen said she welcomed the policy because it meant visitors did not always have to think about taking pictures.