Ralph Erskine, Villa Nilsson, Storviks, Svezia 1946

Ralph Erskine was a Scottish architect and urban planner that was working mostly in Sweden. He was born in Mill Hill, London in 1914, attended the Quaker school at Saffron Walden in Essex from 1924 until 1932, after which he began his architectural training at the School of Architecture at Regent Street Polytechnic, graduating in 1937.

While working on his projects he was mostly inspired with “Swedish Modern” design and regional northern architecture of Scandinavia. So before the Second World War he moved to Sweden, where he lived for the rest of his life.

In 1946 he commenced in private practice on his own account.

The same year was built Villa Nillson in Storviks. It is a one-floor building on a platform, built with bearing pillars, which makes possible erecting even in extreme low temperatures and keeping warmth in the house.

Plan of entire floor consists of one big open space visually divided into fireplace zone, dining room and space with grand piano and several bedrooms. House has small terraces on each side. Roof has a slope that forbids for snow falling above the main entrances. Very important element is a shed skylight in the center of roof that allows the natural light get in the middle of the main room despite the large square of the house. The shaft of the skylight visually continues in the room with the help of gridded wooden walls.

After this project Erskine began to develop his ideas with a revision to the precepts of the modern architecture of the inter-war period. He received many honors and awards for his buildings including gold medals from Sweden, Canada and the RIBA. He was awarded the Wolf Prize in 1984, the year he was also made an Honorary Royal Academician.

References

• Fabio Bertillo, Mauro Ferrara – R. Erskine, Villa Nillson a Storviks Hammarby 1946– Corso di Arredamento e Architettura d’Interni 1^st year prof. Ottolini
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ralph-erskine-529309.html

Authors
Fariza Kalitsova
Sarah Carpentier
Matthieu Najm