Regional Functionalism Architecture of Finland






























































the 1950s marked beginning not of greater population migration cities state financed projects social housing. key example so-called käärmetalo (literally snake house , though referred in english serpentine house ), (1949–51) yrjö lindegren; built using traditional building techniques, plastered brick, building nevertheless has modern snake-like form follows topography of area whilst creating small pocket-like yards residents. beyond matter of form, production of mass housing based on systems of standardisation , prefabricated element construction. leader in design of social housing hilding ekelund - had been responsible design of athletes village olympic games. challenge traditional urbanisation process came, however, design of forest towns , high-rise developments set in forested areas on outskirts of major cities, such pihlajamäki suburb of helsinki (1959–65), based on town plan olli kivinen, , building designs lauri silvennoinen, area comprising white functionalist-style 9-storey tower blocks , 250-metre-long 4-5-storey lamella blocks dispersed within forest setting. pihlajamäki 1 of first precast concrete construction projects in finland. major example of goal set living within nature tapiola garden city, located in espoo, promoted founder heikki von hertzen encourage social mobility. town planning garden city made otto-iivari meurman, , key buildings of town centre aarne ervi, , other buildings by, among others, aulis blomstedt , viljo revell. in 1950s , 1960s, finnish economy began prosper greater industrialisation, state began consolidate welfare state, building more hospitals, schools, universities , sports facilities (athletics being sport finland had proved successful in internationally). larger businesses have architectural policies, notably dairy company valio, in constructing rational high-tech factories , later, headquarters (helsinki, 1975–78) own architect matti k. mäkinen, architect kaarina löfström. there was, however, flip side urbanization , expressed concern value of nature; traditional towns, old medieval ones, such porvoo , rauma, under threat of being demolished, replaced straightened streets , large urban developments of prefabricated multi-storey blocks. did indeed happen extent in cities of turku – wholsale redevlopment described turku disease –, helsinki , tampere; latter 2 did not have medieval architecture @ , turku had lost majority of medieval building entities @ great fire in 1827. anyway, old town areas of porvoo , rauma saved, wooden old town of rauma, old rauma, becoming unesco world heritage site.












there @ time more disposable income; 1 outlet growth in number of leisure homes - preserve of wealthy - preferably placed alone on 1 of numerous isolated lakesides or coastal waterfront. essential part of leisure home (occupied summer holidays , intermittently during spring , autumn, close winter) has been sauna, separate building. indeed, sauna had traditionally been rural phenomenon, , popularity in modern homes consequence of growth leisure-time activity rather washing facility. finnish association of architects (safa) , commercial companies organised design competitions standardised models of leisure homes , saunas, preferably built in wood. architects use summer house type , sauna opportunity experiment, opportunity many architects still use today. in terms of size , opulence, aalto s own summer house, so-called experimental house, in muuratsalo (1952–53) fell between traditions of middle-class splendor , modest rusticity, while accompanying lakeside sauna, built round logs, modern application of rustic construction. 1960s witnessed more experimental summer house types, designed objective of serial production. noted of these matti suuronen s futuro house (1968) , venturo house (1971), of several made , sold worldwide. success short lived, however, production hit 1970s energy crisis.






















the late 1950s , 1960s witnessed reaction still dominant position of alvar aalto in finnish architecture, though some, heikki , kaija siren (e.g. otaniemi chapel, 1956–57), keijo petäjä (e.g. lauttasaari church, helsinki, 1958), viljo revell (e.g. toronto city hall, canada, 1958–65), timo penttilä (e.g. helsinki city theatre, 1967), marjatta , martti jaatinen (e.g. kannelmäki church, 1962–68), , brothers timo , tuomo suomalainen (e.g. temppeliaukio church, helsinki, 1961–69) developed own interpretation of non-rationalist modernist architecture. taking architecture in more idiosyncratic organic line aalto reima pietilä, while @ other end of spectrum rationalist line epitomized in works of aarne ervi, aulis blomstedt, aarno ruusuvuori, kirmo mikkola, kristian gullichsen, matti k. mäkinen, pekka salminen, juhani pallasmaa and, later, helin & siitonen architects.
































































blomstedt key figure here, 1 of founding figures of museum of finnish architecture, professor of architecture theory @ helsinki university of technology, editor of main finnish architecture journal arkkitehti (finnish architecture review), , key member of helsinki branch of ciam helped create in 1958 le carré bleu, journal of architecture theory published solely in french (so come attention of key players in ciam). focus of journal on strict formalism , morphology. among articles, journal featured blomstedt s own studies in geometric proportion , dimensioning systems, inspired harmonic systems devised swiss mathematician hans kayser le corbusier s studies of proportional systems. 1 of blomstedt s key works, extension finnish language adult education centre, helsinki (1959) (the main building, 1927, had been designed gunnar taucher blomstedt s older brother pauli e. blomstedt) application of research, entire building based on subdivisions of basic 360mm module (5x72, 3x120 , 2x180mm). indeed, crux of blomstedt s approach development of dimensioning , proportional system architectural design that, argued, in harmony laws of nature , beauty (human scale , musical harmony) while providing standard system mass industrialisation of building, regarded central efficacy of modernism. 1 of blomstedt s proportional experiments, 1973, became logo museum of finnish architecture.















reima pietilä had been active in activities of museum of finnish architecture publishing theoretical articles in le carré bleu , arkkitehti. pietilä attended meeting of team x group of architects, held in 1972 @ cornell university in usa, concerned questions of structuralism in architecture, emphasising elements of culture, in reaction universalising tendencies of modernism, promoted team x s instigators, older generation of ciam. pietilä took diametric viewpoint of rationalist school, , though works (designed in partnership wife raili pietilä) had of organic idiosyncrasies of aalto, far more abstract , nebulous. in arguing nature apotheosis of plasticity, demanded morphological analysis of architectural products, considering euclidean geometry inadequate instrument of analysis. first major work, finnish pavilion @ 1958 brussels expo did in fact take modular approach akin theories of blomstedt; however, wooden rectangular box-like units whole gave foretaste of pietilä s later surfaces based entirely on free form; notable of these organic works being kaleva church, tampere (1959–66), dipoli student assembly building, espoo (1961–66), metso library, tampere (1978–86) , culminating in final work, official residence of president of finland, mäntyniemi, helsinki (1983–93). these buildings had been result of open architectural competitions.


a more direct connection between aalto , opposing trend of structuralism can seen in work of arto sipinen; had been employee of aalto @ time when latter directing construction of seminaarinmäki campus university of jyväskylä (1951–69). aalto had resigned planning of area in 1969 following disagreements clients , consequently competition held in 1969-70 further planning of campus, including new main library. competition won sipinen. in contrast aalto s vaguely organic or, himself termed, athenian acropolis layout (i.e. individual non-rectangular-shaped buildings set within park landscape , long vistas distance), sipinen s scheme involved structuralist-inspired layout, part strict rational grid, distinct rectangular-shaped buildings, , part urban kasbah , himself termed it, alleyways , courtyards, albeit continuing use of redbrick aalto had followed existing buildings on site dating 19th century. during following decades, sipinen continue same structuralist form language in design of espoo cultural centre (1989), in university of jyväskylä s other campuses @ mattilanniemi , ylistönrinne, though building entire new campuses in white .



university of oulu campus, kari virta (1967-).


both aalto s , sipinen s work on planning of university of jyväskylä campus, , aalto s planning of helsinki university of technology campus in otaniemi, should seen within context of finnish state s desire after war expand further education throughout country, foundation of several new universities purpose-built campuses. former aalto employee, jaakko kontio (together kalle räike), designed campus of lappeenranta university of technology (1969), partly following red-brick aesthetic of aalto topical structuralist-inspired layouts. these structuralist-inspired layout of sipinen s or kontio s works had more gritty counterpart - in sense of spurning expensive materials associated tradition , grandeur - in university of oulu campus (1967-) designed kari virta; working on idea of infinitely extendable mat building , individual parts made brightly painted prefabricated elements made cheap materials.


if minimalism of rationalist school equally inspired works of modernist masters le corbusier , ludwig mies van der rohe machine aesthetic of russian constructivist architecture or machine futurism of buckminster fuller, there allusions , references cultural precedent, equally finnish peasant dwellings , japanese vernacular architecture. attitude indeed seen falling under structuralist outlook of time, evident in japanese modernist architects such kenzo tange, , in parallel architectural phenomenon of brutalist architecture (a reference british architectural style same period). main exponent of style aarno ruusuvuori, heavy use of concrete aesthetic; e.g. huutoniemi church, vaasa (1964), tapiola church (1965) , weilin & göös print works, espoo (1964–66; converted weegee exhibition centre, 2006). other known examples of brutalist concrete style holy cross chapel, turku, pekka pitkänen (1967), järvenpää church erkki elomaa (1968) , sibelius museum, turku, woldemar baeckman (1968). prevailing construction method of prefabricated concrete elements during 1960s , 1970s given different interpretation in sts bank building (1973–76), tampere, kosti kuronen, took on form language of building blocks , porthole windows inspired japanese metabolist architecture, suggesting growth , adaptability.















the ideas of mies van der rohe have had different interpretation in buildings of juha leiviskä, equally inspired de stijl in regard unbounded continuity of space represented series of parallel walls, ideas ethereal qualities of natural light german baroque churches (e.g. churches designed asam brothers) lamps in turkish churches , mosques, including hagia sophia; indeed, leiviskä made reputation competition success in design of churches; e.g. st.thomas s church , parish centre, oulu (1975), myyrmäki church, vantaa (1984), kirkkonummi parish centre, kirkkonummi (1984), männistö church, kuopio (1992), , pakila church, helsinki (2002). thus, instance, in case of myyrmäki church, evident on exterior interior space of relatively long building comprised spaces left between series of free-standing solid walls; is, there no rectangular-shaped spaces.








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