Hvittrask (pronounced Vee-trisk) was the residence and studio of architects Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen. The home/studio complex was built in 1903 to serve as a communal studio, a refuge, away from the pressures and distractions of the city. It was here that the three prominent architects and their families were able to work and practice an alternative lifestyle. It was this alternative lifestyle (complications associated with wife swapping) that lead to the dissolution of this arrangement. Saarinen and his family eventually became the sole residents of Hvittrask.

Today it is a museum and open to the public. It is more difficult to reach than most destinations around Helsinki and required a lengthy bus ride (I don't recall if it was a scheduled bus or a charter bus). Well worth the trip though as the museum is situated on a hill surrounded by beautiful gardens and a nearby lake. The guided tour is excellent and the stories told about the lives of the three architects are very entertaining.

	A sketch I did while eating lunch.

All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Daren Willden, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.