The Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design Foundation, in partnership with the Real Estate Company ADM, has unveiled the five designs shortlisted for the international competition aimed at offering Helsinki a new venue highlighting architecture history and design. This new museum, to be located in the historic South Harbour, has received global interest, with 624 anonymized submissions reviewed since September 2024. This announcement marks the completion of the competition's first phase, as all successful entries will advance to a second stage, receiving a financial award to refine their concepts.
Helsinki: The Latest Architecture and News
Finland’s New Museum of Architecture and Design Reveals the 5 Shortlisted Designs
The Cloud Block Inclusive Housing / INARO Integrated Architecture Office
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Architects: INARO Integrated Architecture Office
- Area: 16500 m²
- Year: 2024
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Manufacturers: Riikku, Tiileri
Alvar Aalto Foundation Announces Preservation Milestone for Studio Aalto in Helsinki, Finland
Studio Aalto and its garden area have just been officially granted protection by the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment. Originally constructed in 1955 as an architect's office, with an extension in 1962-63, it holds major significance as the workspace where Alvar Aalto's acclaimed architecture was conceived. Additionally, the Studio reflects the architectural-office design ethos of the 1950s and 60s. Its interiors, including layers of furniture accumulated over decades, remain intact and are integral to the site's protected status, marking it as the first Aalto location in Finland to be listed in this way.
Maatulli School and Kindergarten / Fors Arkitekter + Arkkitehtuuri ja muotoilutoimisto Talli + Blomqvist Arkitektur
- Area: 10000 m²
- Year: 2024
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Manufacturers: KEIM, Stora Enso
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Professionals: A-Insinöörit Oy, Shs-sähkö Oy, Sitowise Oy, MASU Planning, Jatke Oy
Meander Residence / Steven Holl Architects
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Architects: Steven Holl Architects
- Area: 8886 m²
- Year: 2024
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Professionals: Helsinki City Planning Office, Fyra, VSU Maisema-arkkitehdit Oy, A-Insinöörit Suunnittelu Oy, SitoWise Oy, +2
Helsingin Muurarimestari / AVARRUS Architects
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Architects: AVARRUS Architects
- Area: 2970 m²
- Year: 2024
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Manufacturers: Tiileri
Finnish ‘Architect of Light’ Juha Ilmari Leiviskä Passes Away at 87
Juha Ilmari Leiviskä, one of Finland´s foremost architects recognized for his design of light-filled poetic spaces, passed away on November 9, 2023, at the age of 87. Born in Helsinki and educated at Helsinki University of Technology, Leiviskä developed a personal style throughout his six decades-long career, working with his own family of forms to design buildings with unique identities, yet unified by their treatment of light and geometry. His architecture has been praised for its serene, hones, and timeless qualities, earning him numerous awards and international recognition.
Vuosaari Heat Pump Building / Virkkunen & Co Architects
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Architects: Virkkunen & Co Architects
- Area: 637 m²
- Year: 2021
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Professionals: Helen Ltd, Insinööritoimisto Heikki Möttönen Oy
Saukonlaituri Parking Facility / ALA Architects
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Architects: ALA Architects
- Area: 19700 m²
- Year: 2020
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Professionals: Vahvacon, AFRY Finland, Jones Lang LaSalle Finland, SRV Construction, SitoWise Oy, +4
A Modernist Church Set in Stone: The Story Behind the Temppeliaukio Kirkko in Helsinki, Finland
Near the center of Helsinki, Finland, in the Töölö neighborhood, one can find the Temppeliaukio Church, an unusual-looking Lutheran church nestled between granite rocks. Approaching the square from Fredrikinkatu street, the church appears subtly, a flat dome barely rising above its surrounding landscape. An unassuming entrance, flanked by concrete walls, leads visitors through a dark hallway, and into the light-filled sanctuary carved directly into the bedrock. The exposed rock walls earned it the alternative name “The Church of the Rock.” To contrast the heaviness of the materials, skylights surrounding the dome create a play of light and shadows and a feeling of airiness.
The church is the result of an architectural competition won by the architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1961. Their original solution was recognized not only for its creativity but also for the respect it showed to the competition’s goal: “to include the organization plan for the whole Temppeliaukio Square, taking into attention that as great part as possible of the rock outcrop of the square to be preserved.” The winning proposal achieves this by embedding the church inside the rock and placing parish facilities on the edges of the hillock. This article explores the story behind the Temppeliaukio Church both narratively and visually, through the lens of Aleksandra Kostadinovska, a professional photographer from Skopje.
White Arkitekter and K2S Architects Win Competition to Design New Waterfront Cultural Destination in Helsinki
The city of Helsinki has announced White Arkitekter and K2S Architects as the winners of the competition to design a new waterfront cultural destination in the Makasiiniranta area of Helsinki’s South Harbor. The redevelopment includes the site of a New Museum of Architecture and Design. Titled ‘Saaret,’ which translates to ‘The Islands,’ the proposal aims to create a well-integrated development that brings together cultural and sustainable environments. It also promises to improve the area’s microclimate and create bio-diverse habitats by using the space available on the rooftops to add beehives, vegetable and herb gardens.
Alusta Pavilion / Maiju Suomi + Elina Koivisto
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Architects: Elina Koivisto, Maiju Suomi
- Year: 2022
Dance House Helsinki / JKMM Architects + ILO architects
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Architects: ILO architects, JKMM Architects
- Area: 7000 m²
- Year: 2022
The Soiva Building / Tommila Architects
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Architects: Tommila Architects
- Area: 7497 m²
- Year: 2021
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Manufacturers: TECU®, Wienerberger, Alavus Ikkunat Oy, Bermanto, Inlook, +3
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Professionals: Kaleidoscope Nordic AS, Indepro, SRV Rakennus, Sweco Rakennetekniikka, Pohjatekniikka, +6
The Punavuori Stable / AVARRUS Architects
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Architects: AVARRUS Architects
- Area: 2000 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Ifö Electric
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Professionals: Sitowise Oy, Livair Oy, Presa Oy, Helimäki Akustikot Oy, Paloässät Oy
Mikonkatu 7 Office Building / Futudesign
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Architects: Futudesign
- Area: 9500 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Ceiling cassettes, Dowlights, Event space lighting, Folding walls, Granite Façade, +2