2/2021 - Tradition and Renewal

2/2021 Tradition and Renewal

Combatting climate change poses new objectives for architecture as well. The answers to current and future problems can also be found through looking back: this issue is inspired by traditions and their new applications.

The aim to be carbon neutral has put a spotlight on the choice of materials in architecture. Elina Koivisto starts the issue with a thorough examination of the state of monomaterial construction in Finland – multi-layered construction has long been the norm in the construction industry. To illustrate the subject, the issue showcases projects with wooden frames, such as the Wood City, an urban block in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, currently the biggest wooden block in Finland. In Kajaani, upper seconday school and vocational college got a new extension wing with CLT structure. Villa Koivikko, Aarne Ervi’s modernist villa in Espoo, is nowadays accompanied by three new shingle-clad and log-framed buildings.

Tradition and renewal also bring up questions on locality and universality. In her article, Iida Kalakoski examines barns as inspiration for contemporary architecture: the trend is global, yet applications stem from local traditions. Anu Soikkeli is looking for more sustainable ways to carry out planning and design in the north: the cultural vitality of northern indigenous people has often been weakened by applying western architectural ideas to them.

Materiality is examined from a broader perspective through the work of Indian architect Bijoy Jain, who was awarded the fourteenth Alvar Aalto Medal in the beginning of 2021. In the interview, Jain emphasizes the meanings conveyed through the sense of touch and, on the other hand, the role of the building as one of the intermediate stages in the circulation of materials.

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