In Finland, during the second half of the 19th century, national romanticism intermingled at the beginning of the 20th century with influences of Art-Deco from Central Europe. At that time architecture was understood more as a cultural phenomena in itself and less in the context of its relationship between the object and its producer. Characteristically, the binary set-up of masculinity and femininity still governed social affairs in respect to creativity. This mystic frame of attitude was still caught up in the belief that women are bound to "the material, the hand-craft at home and motherhood", while men, who are being furnished with "creativity and intellect", should lead the decision-making processes and should therefore be granted great freedom in practising arts, sciences and in conducting technological developments. Although the discussion of access for women into higher education was very active during 1860 - 1870, there were only few exceptions like artistically highly motivated women who, at that time when Finland was still a high-principality of Russia, applied for and were granted extra permission to study at the Polytechnic College of Helsinki (later, from 1905 onwards, known as the Polytechnic University of Helsinki).

Olivia Mathilda (called Wivi) Lönn was the fifth Finnish woman-student ever to graduate in architecture (1893 - 1896) after having first started
her training as a master-builder in Tampere. There she lived through the first period of her professional career (1907 - 1911). While still
studying, she had won already her first architectural competitions and therefore established there her first architectural office and became in
fact the first independently practising woman-architect of Finland. Wivi soon was known all over Finland and became particularly recognised as a gifted designer for school buildings. Her success was felt as a ‘threat’ by here male colleagues. Amongst them, a rumour was going around stating: "Someone should wed that girl out of rivalry". Partly because of that hostile atmosphere in Tampere’s building circles had she moved her home and office to Jyväskylä in 1911, which was then only a small provincial town in Central Finland.

In spite of Wivi Lönn’s relatively brief resident in Jyväskylä (1911 - 1918) her impact in the development of this small town is strongly noticeable still today. There are a number of mainly wooden buildings left (a school, a factory, estates and housing-units) which nowadays stand under cultural protection. Although, present-day Jyväskylä declares itself as the city of Alvar Aalto, because this world famous architect went to school here and built many remarkable buildings, Jyväskylä should nevertheless be as proud of this exceptional forerunner in the women’s emancipation movement. By the way, Finland was the first country in Europe giving voting-right to women in 1906 and in doing so second in the
world after New Zealand.

At a very early stage in her life Wivi Lönn decided to commit herself a 100% to architecture. Like for most career-women in her time, she too was not ready to combine work and motherhood. She got ‘married’ with her full-time passion by putting all her energy into this male-oriented
profession. By day she was negotiating, advising, consulting and supervising all she had been doing by night such as sketching, designing,
detailing, calculating, drawing, specifying and so on. She probably was the first all round project manager in Finland who mastered the whole
building process. When visiting building sites she dressed in trousers borrowed from her brother and addressed builders, foremen and workers on the site politely, modestly but firmly. For example, if mason’s tried to blunder her she’d at once demand the redoing of the improperly made
brickwork. She quickly gained acknowledgement and respect from all levels of collaborators. In 1956 she was the first lady that was ever granted the honorary title of Professor by the Finnish Association of Architects.

Wivi Lönn also took time for recreation. She was sociable and very fond of travelling. Particularly her friendship with commercial superintendent
Hanna Parviainen, another exceptional woman of Jyväskylä, inspired her with new ideas. Hanna was the heir and owner of one of Finland’s largest limber plants at the time. Together with Wivi they developed a scheme for an industrial community, some 12 km south of Jyväskylä on the island Säynätsalo. In the nineteen-twenties, these two complementary individuals planned there a very up-to-date and socially revolutionary environment. They visualised and built nursery schools, mother’s and health care stations, an old peoples home, a library, a church and of course housing-units for the labour-force. In the first third of this century, when travelling was still exclusive, slow and tiresome, the two visited many places in Europe. They recharged their batteries by dressing up nicely when visiting famous health-resorts or luxurious recreation-centres
of Europe’s high-society. Due to the ever growing number of commissions, Wivi Lönn moved her whole establishment to Helsinki in 1918, one year after Finland had gained independence from Russia. Nevertheless, the friendship of the two ‘soul-mates’ lasted and they stayed in close contact until Hanna Parviainen died in 1938.

During the 1990’s, there was a reawakening in appreciating the building treasures designed by Wivi Lönn in Jyväskylä. Thanks to the Kauko
Sorjonen Fund, two of the approximately dozen remaining buildings designed by her in Jyväskylä, had recently been renovated with taste and skill, not only on the exterior but also in the interior by using all the old materials, textiles and furniture of the original building period. The first one is the estate of Kuokkala from 1904 which today is being used as an exhibition as well as an art and training-centre. The other is Wivi’s personal home and office-building constructed in 1911.

In today’s Finnish universities the female students are already the majority and career oriented attitudes among them is strengthening steadily. Problematic however remains the combination between the biological urge for conjugal living and motherhood together with the devotion to one’s profession. One crucial question is, whether celibacy is the only assuring choice for women willing to be successfully creative in their vocational career ?

Buildings by Wivi Lönn in Jyväskylä:
 
 

1904 1906 1908 1910 -"- 1911 -"- 1912 -"- -"- -"- 1913 1914 1916 1917 1919 1926

Kuokkala estate Riihimäentie 3 new building Store house Seminaarinkatu 26 B new building  Teivaala house Hämeenkatu 3 new building  Tissari house Seminaarinkatu 20 new building   Karpio house Kramsukatu 1 renovation Wivi Lönn’s house Hämeenkatu 4 new building  Nousiaisen house Vapaudenkatu 17 new building  Primary school Puistokatu 7-9 new building  Ville Lönn house Hämeenkatu 2 new building  Oksala house Kramsukatu 6 new building  Forselius house Seminaarinkatu 3 new building  Primary school and Säynätsalo new building kindergarten  Karpio house Seminaarinkatu 18 new building  Home craft’s museum Seminaarinkatu 32, grain storage alteration  Workmen’s one family Säynätsalo new buildings houses  Workmen’s 5-family Rauhankatu 1 new building house  Old people’s home Säynätsalo new building

 

Bibliography :

1976 Kirsti Oksanen "Wivi Lönn Jyväskylässä" Tampereen Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, arkkitehtuurin osasto, arkkitehtuurihistorian P 1 harjoitustyö 1982 Paula Kivinen "Tampereen Jugend Arkkitehtuuri - taideteollisuus 1982" Tampereen kaupungin tiederahaston julkaisu no: 7
1983 Keski-Suomen museo "Jyväskylän kulttuurihistorialliset rakennukset", monistesarja 4/83 Luettelo ja menettelytapaohjeisto
1991 Eija Kanervo "Pro gradu - tutkielma, Kulttuurihistoria" Turun Yliopisto historian Laitos
1992 Sirpa Laine "Wivi Lönn ja hänen asuintalonsa Jyväskylässä" Kopijyvä Oy, ISBN 951-95466-5-0 1992 Pekka Korvenmaa "Arkkitehdin työ" Suomen Arkkitehtiliitto 1892 - 1992, ISBN 951-682-243-6 1993 Taidehistorian seura "Taidehistoriallisia Tutkimuksia no: 14"
ISBN 951-95275-6-7
1995 Sirpa Laine "Wivi Lönnin osuus Jyväskylän Seminaarimäen ja ns. Alylän talojen suunnittelussa", Pro gradu - työ Jyväskylän Yliopisto taidehistorian laitos 1996 Jussi Jäppinen "Talo Etelärinteellä", Kopijyvä Oy, ISBN 952-5092-01-1