Venice Biennale 2012: Nordic Pavilion

Anttila Oiva Architects © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

In celebration of the Nordic Pavilion’s fiftieth anniversary, thirty-two architects born after the year 1962 have been invited to present a model of a conceptual “house” that reflects their personal philosophy of architecture at the 2012 Venice Biennale exhibition “Light Houses: On the Nordic Common Ground”. Eleven architects from Finland and Sweden, along with ten architects from Norway will each respond to the sobering economic constraints and diminishing environmental resources that challenge architects today.

Contemporary Nordic architectural culture offers both exemplary approaches and significant constructed works addressing these challenging circumstances. The classic hallmarks of Nordic architecture – simplified form, frugal use of materials and sensitive treatment of daylight and the natural setting – embody the basic principles of responsible, sustainable architecture.

Continue after the break to learn more.

The Nordic Pavilion was designed by the Pritzker Prize laureate Sverre Fehn and is described as a “distilled, elegant” version of a Nordic “house”, as it evokes sensations of light, material, structure, space, nature and atmosphere. It embodies what might be called a metaphysical “house of the North”, one of specific primary architectural images, elements and details. The Nordic Pavilion is a physical and metaphorical “common ground” for Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Nordic Pavilion exhibition "Light Houses: On the Nordic Common Ground" © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

The works have been commissioned specifically for the Venice venue from Nordic architects new and established, urban and rural, less-renowned and widely celebrated. The exhibits are displayed as installations, forming a “chorus” of contemporary Nordic architecture in polyphonic dialogue with Fehn’s iconic Pavilion. The exhibits are mounted on pedestals designed by Professor Juhani Pallasmaa, Fehn’s colleague and personal friend.

Projects:

Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

TYIN tegnestue Architects

Tham & Videgård, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Nordmark & Nordmark

TYIN tegnestue, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Sanaksenaho Architects

Nordmark & Nordmark, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Fantastic Norway

Sanaksenaho Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

ALA Architects

Fantastic Norway, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Kjellander+Sjöberg

ALA Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

AtelierOslo

Kjellander + Sjöberg, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Marge Arkitekter

Atelier Oslo, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Lundén Österlund Wikar

Marge Arkitecter, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

In Praise of Shadows Architecture

Lundén, Wikar, Österlund, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Verstas Architects

In Praise of Shadows Architecture, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Space Group

Verstas Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

JKMM Architects

Space Group, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

manthey kula

JKMM Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects

manthey kula, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

General Architecture

Jarmund:Vigsnæs As Architects MNAL, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Reiulf Ramstad Architects

General Architecture, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Avanto Architects

Reiulf Ramstad Architects, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

petra gipp arkitektur

Avanto Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Elding Oscarson

Petra Gipp Arkitektur, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

K2S Architects

Eldin Oscarsson, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Arkitektstudio Widjedal Racki

K2S Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Anttinen Oiva Architects

Arkitektstudio Widjedal Racki, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Brendeland & Kristoffersen architects

Anttila Oiva Architects © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Hollmén Reuter Sandman Architects

Brendeland & Kristoffersen Architects, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

happyspace

Hollmen Reuter Sandman Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter

Happy Space, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

NOW

Haugen Zohar Arkitekter, Norway © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

C-O-M-B-I-N-E

NOW, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Lassila Hirvilammi Architects

COMBINE, Sweden © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Rintala Eggertsson Architects NOR

Lassila Hirvilammi Architects, Finland © Museum of Finnish Architecture and Ilari Järvinen

Commissioner: Juulia Kauste Deputy Commissioners: The Swedish Museum of Architecture and the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (Norway) Curator & Designer: Peter MacKeith Assistant Curator & Designer: Philip Tidwell Pedestal Design: Juhani Pallasmaa Supporters: The Ministry of Education and Culture/Finland, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Norway, The Nordic Culture Fund and World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. The exhibition is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 program. Stool 60 provided by Artek for the exhibition.

The “New Forms in Wood” exhibition in the Finnish Pavilion is also produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

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About this author
Cite: Karissa Rosenfield. "Venice Biennale 2012: Nordic Pavilion " 23 Aug 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/266246/venice-biennale-2012-nordic-pavilion> ISSN 0719-8884

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