Harri Mäkiaho a Finnish Architect has just won a competition for a new Art Centre and Theatre in Sundsvall, Sweden. The entry was called Kräfta. The Swedish Architects Association has a page on it with some good images and plans. It’s a really nice project and deserved winner, and the jury description is mostly quite accurate.

However rather that the jury calling it completely original I believe it as a strong development of recent themes in Finnish Architecture, JKMM’s Verkatehdas springs to mind as do a couple of recent schools. This does not detract from the scheme, actually in my view it adds to it. By developing successful methodology and adapting them you have a blueprint for an excellent building without having to raise it to the level of virtuoso artistic creation wholly original. Anyway Sundsvall is getting an excellent building.