Architect
Viljo Revell
1910 - 1964
Viljo Revell is one Finland´s foremost architects of international renown. He graduated from Helsinki University of Technology in 1937. His breakthrough was the Glass Palace in Helsinki (1936), which he designed during his student years together with Niilo Kokko and Heimo Riihimäki. The Glass Palace is one of the very few purely functionalistic buildings in Helsinki today.
Viljo Revell is one Finland´s foremost architects of international renown. He graduated from Helsinki University of Technology in 1937. His breakthrough was the Glass Palace in Helsinki (1936), which he designed during his student years together with Niilo Kokko and Heimo Riihimäki. The Glass Palace is one of the very few purely functionalistic buildings in Helsinki today.
Glass Palace, Helsinki, 1936. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Revell worked in Alvar Aalto´s office in 1937 and oversaw the erection of the Finnish pavilion at the Paris World´s Fair. From 1942 to 1944 Revell was the director of the Finnish Architect´s Reconstruction Office. He was also member of the board of SAFA, The Finnish Association of Architects, and in 1955 became the first trustee of the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki.
After World War II he became influenced by the international development of building with elements and reinforced concrete. The Industry Center (Palace), which was completed for the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, was an important work in Revell´s career but also for post-war Finnish architecture: the building presaged the coming of international rationalism. Revell was always interested in developing building constructions and tried several revolutionary ideas.
In addition to planning commercial, office and apartment buildings he designed many villas and saunas. One of his most known private villas, Villa Didrichsen (villa 1957, additional wing in 1964) in Kuusisaari, Helsinki, is today a museum.
Villa Didrichsen 1957, Didrichsen Art Museum 1964, Helsinki. Photo: Rauno Träskelin
Revell always gathered the best team of architects to design the competition plans. His greatest breakthrough was the winning of the competition for the design of the City Hall of Toronto among more than 530 contestants in 1958, and which earned him an international reputation.
Ed. by Didrichsen Art Museum
"It was teamwork, you see"
Exhibition on Viljo Revell at Didrichsen Art Museum
from 13 February until 16 May 2010
Viljo Revell: "It was teamwork, you see"
New book published!
Go to Museum of Finnish Architecture Bookshop
