Villa Mössala
Architect Jari Heikkinen
Project Type detached house, refurbishment and extension
Location Helsinki
Gross Area 192 m2
Original building 1910, 1925, 1939
Completion 2024
Architect Jari Heikkinen: Like many old buildings in Tapanila, also the former hat shop is put together piece by piece. The log construction building from the 1910s was extended in 1925 and raised in height in 1939 with a balloon frame structure.
The house, which had fallen into disrepair, had been spared from modern materials and remodellings. The house contained building elements from the periods of functionalism and 1920s classicism, and even some Jugendstil. During the recent renovation, the wooden windows, doors and fittings were restored and the underfloor structure was completely renewed. When replacing the lowest logs, it was easy to retrofit geothermal and underfloor heating. The plumbing and electrical systems were renewed while the structures were open.
The low extension was built into the slope at the edge of the plot. There is a contrast between the old and the new in terms of the form, structure and materials. The old house consists mainly of a wood structure finished with an opaque paint layer in neutral tones, while the oiled and waxed wooden surfaces of the interior of the new part have a warm glow. The common exterior colour, however, ties the two parts together.
The living spaces open out via a glass wall towards a sheltered garden. A rainwater-recycling pond becomes part of the living spaces via a Japanese-style sliding door. The morning sun casts the shimmering reflections of the water onto the wooden ceiling, and the sounds of the streams babbling merge into a single soothing murmur.
Photos and drawings Jari Heikkinen
The common exterior colour ties the extension and the old building together.
A narrow and tall detached house saves space on a small plot, and its vertical cladding emphasises the funnily slim look. In contrast, the extension is low and was built into the slope.
