About the museum

In 1949 Signe and Ane Gyllenberg founded a foundation with the purpose to support medical research and maintain an art collection. The couple wished for the art collection to be on public display, and so the idea of an art gallery conjoined to their home took form.

The museum is situated in Signe and Ane’s former home, which was designed by Matti Finell and ready in 1938. An extension with a new dining room was built in 1955.

The art gallery connected to the old home was designed in the late 1970's by Ålander – Packalén – Korsström Architects, with Per-Mauritz Ålander as Head Designer. Per Mauritz-Ålander has worked for Alvar Aalto, and some of the gallery details have an Aaltoesque feeling to them.

Both Signe and Ane passed away in 1977. Villa Gyllenberg was officially inaugurated in December 1980.

The museum today

The museum exhibits art works from the foundation's own collection, as well as special exhibitions with works from other museums and collections.

The house museum, Signe's and Ane's former home, displays works by Finnish artists from the 19th and 20th century, as well as old European art. The parlor, and the old and the new dining room are furnished with the couple's original furniture.

On the second floor you'll find some paintings, the old bathroom and a conservatory. There's also a small exhibition about the Gyllenberg family, the house and the garden, and the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation.

Two films are showed on the second floor (both only in Finnish and Swedish). The one from 2012 is about Ane Gyllenberg and the foundation, and the other one from 2022 is about collection work done during the museum's renovation in 2021. The staff is happy to tell you more about the subject, please feel free to ask.

The amount of visitors grew steadily during the 2010's and it became clear that the museum premise was in need of a renovation. A new extension, with a new entrance and a museum shop, was built during the renovation that took place in 2020-21. The extension is designed by Nomad Architects Ltd with Anna-Mari Gramatikova-Lindberg as Head Designer.

The renovation was completed in late 2021, and the museum was re-opened on February 2nd 2022.