I got a phone call from Aalto Museum. There was almost a desperate student who wanted to visit Säynätsalo Town Hall. “Could it be possible today – anytime you say!” Luckily I was at my studio working and asked him to take a buss and come to the island.

He came and we started our walk at the building. He said that Aalto was very important for him, and I could see it in his eyes. He was absorbing everything he saw and some stories and details I told about Aalto. He was repeating how lucky he was that he could get inside. He had some friends who had the same scholarship earlier and could only explore the building outside. The Town Hall itself was unreachable for the at that time.

But, oh boy, he didn’t know yet how lucky he really was!

When we were upstairs in the 3rd floor we heard a group coming to the lower floor. I knew that there was a “VIP” group coming. The group ascended also to the council hall… and suddenly my new friend started to get excited. He shortly explained that in the group there was a very famous architect from Taiwan: Sheng-Yuan Huang.

”Huang’s office makes fascinating interventions in urban structure. They genuinely seek to resolve the city’s problems and to make people’s lives a bit better with the aid of architecture,” says Director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation Tommi Lindh on the web pages of Aalto Museum.

Hand shake, short discussion in Chinese and of course a picture of the idol and his admirer. The moment was over so fast. I hope I will get the image and can attach it here later.

But that was not yet all… My guest was mixed up with all this happiness that he hardly believed Mari, the Aalto Museum’s guide, while she suggested that he could join the group for visit to the Experimental House on Muuratsalo island.

He was really smiling and happy as one future architect could be. He
experienced two of his idols in an hour! He was also invited to the first idol’s summer house in a companion with the second idol 🙂

Once again. Carpe diem!