Helsinki projects ashore in a container in London

The exhibition Helsinki Horizon 2030, produced by the Helsinki City Planning Department, was opened in London on Friday, 18 June. It is one of the many exhibitions in connection with the London Festival of Architecture.

The exhibition Helsinki Horizon 2030, produced by the Helsinki City Planning Department, was opened in London on Friday, 18 June. It is one of the many exhibitions in connection with the London Festival of Architecture.

‘The Finnish Embassy in London inquired last autumn if Helsinki is interested in participating in the event as part of an entity called International Architecture Showcases. More than 30 countries from all over the world take part. Helsinki decided to join in, and we finally chose to present our major Waterfront projects in the exhibition – Länsisatama, Kalasatama and Kruunuvuorenranta’, describes Communication Manager Heikki Mäntymäki. The theme of the exhibition is thereby the same as in the exhibition Tailwinds, opened on 11 June at the City Planning Department’s meeting place Laituri in Helsinki.

The exhibition is displayed in a real sea container. On the inside walls there is an aerial view of Helsinki. Scale models of all three areas have been placed on top using 3D printing technique. The container also shows a video presentation of the new areas on a wall formed of four 46-inch screens. In addition, the container has a wooden terrace and a sail roof mounted on a 10-meter mast. The architect of the exhibition is Interior Designer Esa Vesmanen.

In London, the container is located in the courtyard of the Oxo Tower on the south bank of the Thames. The Oxo Tower is well-known for its numerous design shops and offices. Nearby is the other representative of Finland, The Nest – An urban timber garden, produced by the Finnish Institute in London and the wood studio of Aalto University. It is located on a vacant plot in Southwark.

‘The exhibition has had a very good start. It has attracted a steady stream of visitors. Father’s Day was celebrated last Sunday in the UK and many families with children were out and about. The Helsinki beach balls were in great demand. The atmosphere has been quite nice and the summer weather very pleasant over the last few days’, says Project Co-ordinator Meri Louekari of the Kaupunkiluotsi project. She is on duty in London during the first week and Exhibition Co-ordinator Reetta DeWan will then take over for the remaining time.

The exhibition in London is open until 4 July. Thereafter the container sails back till Finland, where it will be displayed during the Helsinki Design Week by the Cable Factory from 26 August.