On a Path Toward Ecological Living
Talo Kissankäpälä is one of the first single-family houses with natural stack ventilation in the Helsinki metropolitan area that was built after the new Finnish energy regulations came into effect.
An Architecture Shaped by the Wind, the Water and the Sun
All too often, discussions about sustainability in architecture are reduced to the technical performance of buildings. Japanese architect Hiroshi Sambuichi's more lyrical approach inspires Maiju Suomi.
Life After Coal at Hanasaari
A studio course held by Aalto University last summer focussed on life after coal. The students planned new uses for the Hanasaari coal-fired power plant.
100 Years of Bauhaus School and the Need for New Perspectives
Anja Neidhardt brings into question the complicated history of Bauhaus and introduces new interpretations that broaden our understanding of the design school.
The Attraction of Opposites
Juhani Pallasmaa finds both similarities and differences in Alvar Aalto’s and Le Corbusier’s ideologies. We publish the essay originally intended for the catalogue of Jari Jetsonen's photography exhibition.
Visible Space for Creation
Design has long been taught at Helsinki’s Arabia district, and now a brand-new higher education cluster, specialising in the creative industries, is about to lay claim to this historic site.
Tuning Up the Classic – The designers and the client talk about the embassy renovation
Photo Tuomas Uusheimo An architectural competition was held for the Finnish Embassy in New Delhi, India, in the 1960s. However, the embassy compound, built on the basis of the winning competition entry by Reima and Raili Pietilä, was completed only in 1985.
A Barn Reborn
Photo Kuvatoimisto Kuvio / Anders Portman Weathered wooden planks from an old barn inspired Avanto Architects to design a pitch black facade. The seemingly simple storage building for whiskey barrels required material testing and novel thinking.
We Need Utopias – German professor on Bauhaus centennial
In Bauhaus centennial, professor Harald Kegler sees missed opportunities of reaching out more than only opening new exhibitions.