The best of recent Finnish architecture

The summer exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture presents some of the most notable Finnish architecture from 2008-09, continuing on a biennial Museum tradition now in the fourth edition. Finnish Architecture 0809 displays 25 projects that together offer a broad cross-section of current Finnish architecture, ranging from small to large projects – from summer houses and single-family homes to entire urban areas.

 

 

The jury had for their consideration an exceptionally large number of projects. In 2008-09, the Finnish economy went into a recession following the global economic downturn, but the building sector was able to reap the harvest of the previous economic boom in Finland, and the main emphasis was on housing.

 

Strong themes in the exhibition are a focus in urban areas and the role of cities in the face of structural changes, increasing density, an increased emphasis on public transport, and search for solutions to environmental challenges. Yet, the projects show the traditional Finnish closeness to nature.

 

Some of the projects reflect the opening of a new freight harbour in Vuosaari, Helsinki in late 2008, which heralded in the largest transformation that Helsinki has seen in the past one hundred years, as large areas freed from old harbours are being planned and developed.

 

The Finnish Architecture 0809 exhibition has been produced by the Alvar Aalto Academy, Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and Museum of Finnish Architecture. The exhibition is complemented by a book by the same title.

 

(According to publication Museum of Finnish Architecture Summer-Autumn 2010)