Hilda Hongell facts for kids
Hilda Hongell (born Hilda Sjöblom, 16 January 1867 – 10 June 1952) was a very important Finnish woman. She was the first female "master builder" in Finland. A master builder is someone who designs and oversees the construction of buildings. She is sometimes called the first female architect in Finland. However, another woman named Signe Hornborg might have been the very first architect.
Early Life and Education
Hilda grew up in the Åland Islands. She started her studies at Helsinki Industrial School in 1891. At that time, only men were usually allowed to attend these schools. But Hilda was very good at her studies. Because of her excellent results, she was accepted as a regular student the next year. She began her career in architecture in 1894.
Building Style
Around the year 1900, a popular building style in Finland was the "ornamented Swiss style." This style used lots of decorative details, often made of wood. Hilda Hongell used this beautiful style very well in her designs.
Her Designs
Hilda Hongell designed many buildings in the Mariehamn area. She created 98 different buildings in total. Most of these were town houses and farm houses. About 44 of her original designs are still standing today.
Exhibitions
In the summer of 2007, there was a special exhibition in Helsinki. It showed the architecture of Hilda Hongell and another architect from her time, Lars Sonck. The exhibition was called "The old architecture of Mariehamn."
Her Family
Hilda Hongell's son was named Göran Hongell (1902-1973). He became a famous designer of glassware.
