Stories

All

Project Review — 5.10.2026

Aleksanterinkatu 13 combines conservation and the circular economy principles successfully

The Lundqvist commercial building from 1901 in central Helsinki represented the most progressive commercial architecture of its time. Now it has undergone a new renovation, with the aim of preserving the original parts and spaces and implementing the whole in a resource-wise manner.

Essay — 5.10.2026

trends

Beauty is back in architecture, with the help of Instagram

Architectural photographer Marc Goodwin has observed that new architecture uses is history as a resource, quite like postmodernism did a couple of decades ago. However, something is different now, as visual culture has become a more integral part of architecture.

Project Review — 30.9.2026

re-use

A storage building located on Mustikkamaa in Helsinki generates information for future construction

A maintenance and storage building located in Mustikkamaa is built mainly from reused building components. The materials subtly reflect their previous lives.

Book — 29.9.2026

architectural practice

Architectural manifesto for the age of turbo-capitalism

OMA partner Renier de Graaf’s newest book does not lack ambition when outlining goals for 21st century architecture.

Editorial — 29.9.2026

circular economy

There is no need to look to centuries past for models of circular economy architecture

There are many forgotten tangents in the recent history of architecture that from a circular economy perspective can seem surprisingly fresh and possess development potential, writes Kristo Vesikansa in Re-use issue editorial.

Essay — 22.9.2026

re-use

The charming Viljanen House preserves tragedies of Finnish architectural heritage

The family home of architect Kaarlo Viljanen has gradually taken shape over the course of four decades, whilst elsewhere the built heritage has been demolished, redeveloped or abandoned.

Viewpoint — 22.9.2026

circular economy

Circular economy thinking inevitably changes the architect’s role and ideals – Four architects reflect on where the focus should be right now

We asked four architects to reveal the aspects of a circular economy that currently interest or puzzle them.

People — 18.9.2026

museum architecture

How to repair a radical building, Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki?

French-Japanese architect duo Moreau and Kusunoki are currently the lead architects for the cultural transformation the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Ella Kaira spoke with the architects about restoration, cultural institutions and how looking closely at the past can open up possibilities for the future.

Phenomena — 18.6.2026

geopolitics

Geopolitics is thought about a lot in the architectural field, but rarely talked about

Italian Daniele Belleri has written a series of articles for the Finnish Architectural Review website about the influence of geopolitics on Finnish architecture. In the final article of the series, he discusses how the architectural field should act in the changed geopolitical situation.

Phenomena — 18.6.2026

geopolitics

Architecture can form a counterforce to imperialism, and Finland is a good example of this, says researcher Markus Lähteenmäki

Art historian Markus Lähteenmäki has studied imperialism in architecture. According to Lähteenmäki, anti-imperialist thinking is an inseparable part of the history of Finnish architecture.

Research — 15.6.2026

self-building

Protest camps give an example of what genuinely democratic planning could look like

Pijatta Heinonen studied the planning and building practices in three Central-European areas that had originally been occupied by protesters in their recent doctoral dissertation.

Viewpoint — 15.6.2026

urban design

How to design cities that nurture joy

Examining the city through the lens of urban joy reveals the importance of preserving spontaneity, informality and the freedom to use spaces without purpose, argues Merve Ünlü.

Phenomena — 15.6.2026

sustainability

Prototypes lead the way to the low-carbon future

One way to develop carbon-neutral materials is to construct prototypes and demo houses that are built to actual scale. Kristo Vesikansa surveyed the most interesting experiments in Europe.

Viewpoint — 15.6.2026

housing design

Refurbishing the idea of home

Home refurbishments reveal an attitude that playfully underscores daily use and materiality, rather than newly built structures.

Editorial — 15.6.2026

small scale

Close to the ground, eyes on the horizon

Small projects have the potential to act as prototypes for new sustainable technologies and lifestyles. Thus, the Small Interventions issue focuses on the margins of the architectural field and through them explores approaches that could have broader applications.