“The superbly well-proportioned facades can be compared with the best current examples of European urbanism.”

The new block at the edge of Oulu city centre was designed around a former factory. Read Lauri Louekari’s review of the project → (Photo: Heikki Salmi)

Article

Learning from Swedish Suburban Redevelopment

Immigrant entrepreneurs are often disregarded in the redevelopment of Finnish suburban neighbourhoods. Renewal projects in Sweden offer an example of a different approach.

Article

How to Plan Unplanned Encounters? A Formula Explains What to Take into Account When Designing Urban Blocks

In recent decades, the perimeter block has become the go-to urban typology in Finnish urban planning and a symbol of urban life. If you take a closer look at the form, however, it does not create life around it as such. The potential lies in more subtle design choices.

Project Review

Infill Buildings on Liisankatu in the Historical Part of Helsinki Are a Successful Example of Densification

A perimeter block in Helsinki’s Kruununhaka district now boasts two new multistorey residential buildings. The block composition became more compact, but the impact is more spacious than before.

Article

Forgotten Vision of Helsinki City

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Helsinki city centre became a utopian, American-inspired downtown. Now the buildings from that era are under threat of demolition.

2/2023Care

What kind of care can the built environment offer, and for whom? How to care as an architect? What kind of hospital buildings has the 2010s construction boom in the social and health sector produced?

Article

Architecture of Care in a Welfare State

Finns have alternately built and dismantled the welfare state, depending on political power relations. Architecture has played a key role when goals have been brought to practice.

Care

HUS Bridge Hospital

Team Integrated
Helsinki
2022

Article

Dressing Care in New Clothes

The 2010s started a construction boom in the Finnish social and healthcare service sector. What kind of architecture has it produced? We collected recently completed and ongoing projects.

Care

Myllypuro Senior Centre

Kirsti Sivén & Asko Takala Architects
Helsinki
2021

Article

Changes and Losses of Hospital Architecture

With the new healthcare buildings, a large number of old care buildings will be demolished or modified for new use. What kind of architecture and building heritage will we lose in the process?

Interview

Hospital Nova Is Like a Healing Machine

Designing the new central hospital in Jyväskylä made the architects assume a new role as process designers.

Article

Many Faces of Care

Who does architecture take care of? How should architecture itself be cared for? We asked architects to provide different viewpoints.

1/2023Movement

What is the current transportation-related architecture like? What kind of urban environment is created around the transport systems? What is the significance of different movements and the concept of change for architecture?

Article

Social Movements, Saviours of Built Heritage?

For almost a couple of decades, the residents of the Meri-Rastila area in Helsinki have sought to influence the development of their daily environment. They are not the first ones to act due to concerns about changes taking place in a neighbourhood.

Project Review

New Adventure and Romance

The new entrance building of Helsinki Airport offers a memorable setting for departures and arrivals.

Project Review

Metro Geography

With the recent completion of the final stations of the western metro extension, Länsimetro, the Helsinki metro now also runs through Espoo. When one part of a system like the metro undergoes change, the entire system simultaneously changes, muses Tommy Lindgren. He visited all the stations west of Lauttasaari.

Article

Technology, Asphalt and Attitudes

The Finnish transport system’s development around the passenger car has caused great societal problems. Instead of broader systemic change, the visions of mobility futures still focus on emerging technologies.

Article

Concept: Fluidity

Fluidity opens up a refreshing angle for everyone and anyone looking at a city, Tuulia Kivistö proposes.

Industrial

Finnish Design Shop

Avanto Architects, Arkkitehtiruutu
Turku
2021

Article

The First Steps of the Tramway City 

Public transport services in the largest cities in Finland are undergoing a major change, along with a launch of light rail systems. How will the new means of transport affect the development of the city regions, and what kind of urban environment is being created along the sides of the tramlines?