The Aalto University has been created in Helsinki. Made up of the current Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design, its doors will open August of 2009. Its quite big news because of the groupings these represent. Design, Technology and Economics meaning that policy makers [...]
Monocle a magazine I like (wish I could love it, but can’t just yet) has published their annual review of most liveable cities (also see this ft article). Helsinki is up to no.5 (I think it was something like no.12 last year).
September 19, 2007 – 12:55 pm
Open House Helsinki is on tomorrow, with some buildings opening up to the public as part of the larger Helsinki Design Week 2007. It could have been a little bigger and more widespread but there are some potentially interesting buildings to visit. The Hotel Katajanokka, a converted Jail for example wets my appetite.
The city has gone eurovision crazy, and its really taken over the whole centre. My favourite thing is the Saunabus which has been drafted in as part of the celebrations, and while I don’t think Finland will win again, they should get in the top 10. Personally I think this new rock music is [...]
April 24, 2007 – 12:53 pm
Above is Artek and Shigeru Ban’s pavillion for the Milan Triennale which uses a wood/plastic composite material partly recycled from UPM the giant Finnish paper manufacturer. A great interview with Ban and an indepth look at the design and construction of the building is at design boom.
and hello……
Vonnegut’s writing career spanned more than half a century and saw him produce 14 novels…. as well as dozens of short stories, essays and plays. He ranged from the conventional science fiction, Cat’s Cradle to the satirical Breakfast of Champions and the semi-autobiographical Slaughterhouse-Five, the catalyst for which was his own experience as a [...]
March 14, 2007 – 11:38 am
I’m slow off the blocks with this but it’s too important for me to skip, the Open Architecture Network has launched where anyone can upload a building design and all the documentation in order to build it. It is licenced under a creative commons developing world licence so designs can be utilised in the areas [...]
February 16, 2007 – 10:49 am
(photo by georg)
The Architect Shigeru Ban has developed an exhibition of some 14 Alvar Aalto projects which will be showing at the Barbican in London (22 Feb ‘07 - 13 May ‘07). I hope this exhibition can be brought to Finland too so I can see it. I’ll have to make do with the review [...]
November 1, 2006 – 2:07 pm
I have been very busy at work but have been enjoying the Ted Talks while sitting at my computer. For the Architects among you there are Cameron Sinclair and Joshua Prince-Ramus giving talks. There are many other highlights as well though, Malcolm Gladwell and Steven Levitt offer a different perspective, Rick Warren fights it out [...]
October 16, 2006 – 12:48 pm
The WeeGee building once a printworks reopens today in Tapiola as an cultural centre it has five museums, a modern art gallery, a media-art centre, a museum shop and cafe. Originally designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori its a Finnish Constructivist classic and now houses Espoo city museum. There is a flash guide of the original [...]
October 12, 2006 – 1:16 pm
The Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award which is sponsored by the Finnish Forestry industry was awarded to Peter Zumthor this year (via). See the pdf of award and the organisers website.
Even in Finland we talk about “Wow” architecture. The buildings are expected to astonish the viewer. I’m convinced that this is exactly the type [...]
Some terrible news that Porvoo Cathedral had a major fire at the weekend (via). It was a beautiful 13th Century part stone part timber Cathedral. So a couple of fires in major Finnish buildings within the space of a couple of weeks, accident or deliberate, its pretty suspicious? But while Makasiinit was due for demolition [...]
