Juha Ilmari Leiviskä, one of Finland´s foremost architects recognized for his design of light-filled poetic spaces, passed away on November 9, 2023, at the age of 87. Born in Helsinki and educated at Helsinki University of Technology, Leiviskä developed a personal style throughout his six decades-long career, working with his own family of forms to design buildings with unique identities, yet unified by their treatment of light and geometry. His architecture has been praised for its serene, hones, and timeless qualities, earning him numerous awards and international recognition.
Helsinki: The Latest Architecture and News
Finnish ‘Architect of Light’ Juha Ilmari Leiviskä Passes Away at 87
Vuosaari Heat Pump Building / Virkkunen & Co Architects
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Architects: Virkkunen & Co Architects
- Area: 637 m²
- Year: 2021
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Professionals: Helen Ltd, Insinööritoimisto Heikki Möttönen Oy
Saukonlaituri Parking Facility / ALA Architects
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Architects: ALA Architects
- Area: 19700 m²
- Year: 2020
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Professionals: Vahvacon, AFRY Finland, Jones Lang LaSalle Finland, SRV Construction, SitoWise Oy, +4
A Modernist Church Set in Stone: The Story Behind the Temppeliaukio Kirkko in Helsinki, Finland
Near the center of Helsinki, Finland, in the Töölö neighborhood, one can find the Temppeliaukio Church, an unusual-looking Lutheran church nestled between granite rocks. Approaching the square from Fredrikinkatu street, the church appears subtly, a flat dome barely rising above its surrounding landscape. An unassuming entrance, flanked by concrete walls, leads visitors through a dark hallway, and into the light-filled sanctuary carved directly into the bedrock. The exposed rock walls earned it the alternative name “The Church of the Rock.” To contrast the heaviness of the materials, skylights surrounding the dome create a play of light and shadows and a feeling of airiness.
The church is the result of an architectural competition won by the architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1961. Their original solution was recognized not only for its creativity but also for the respect it showed to the competition’s goal: “to include the organization plan for the whole Temppeliaukio Square, taking into attention that as great part as possible of the rock outcrop of the square to be preserved.” The winning proposal achieves this by embedding the church inside the rock and placing parish facilities on the edges of the hillock. This article explores the story behind the Temppeliaukio Church both narratively and visually, through the lens of Aleksandra Kostadinovska, a professional photographer from Skopje.
White Arkitekter and K2S Architects Win Competition to Design New Waterfront Cultural Destination in Helsinki
The city of Helsinki has announced White Arkitekter and K2S Architects as the winners of the competition to design a new waterfront cultural destination in the Makasiiniranta area of Helsinki’s South Harbor. The redevelopment includes the site of a New Museum of Architecture and Design. Titled ‘Saaret,’ which translates to ‘The Islands,’ the proposal aims to create a well-integrated development that brings together cultural and sustainable environments. It also promises to improve the area’s microclimate and create bio-diverse habitats by using the space available on the rooftops to add beehives, vegetable and herb gardens.
Alusta Pavilion / Maiju Suomi + Elina Koivisto
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Architects: Elina Koivisto, Maiju Suomi
- Year: 2022
Dance House Helsinki / JKMM Architects + ILO architects
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Architects: ILO architects, JKMM Architects
- Area: 7000 m²
- Year: 2022
The Soiva Building / Tommila Architects
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Architects: Tommila Architects
- Area: 7497 m²
- Year: 2021
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Manufacturers: TECU®, Wienerberger, Alavus Ikkunat Oy, Bermanto, Inlook, +3
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Professionals: Kaleidoscope Nordic AS, Indepro, SRV Rakennus, Sweco Rakennetekniikka, Pohjatekniikka, +6
The Punavuori Stable / AVARRUS Architects
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Architects: AVARRUS Architects
- Area: 2000 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Ifö Electric
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Professionals: Sitowise Oy, Livair Oy, Presa Oy, Helimäki Akustikot Oy, Paloässät Oy
Mikonkatu 7 Office Building / Futudesign
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Architects: Futudesign
- Area: 9500 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Ceiling cassettes, Dowlights, Event space lighting, Folding walls, Granite Façade, +2
Jätkäsaari Comprehensive School / AOR Architects
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Architects: AOR Architects
- Area: 8160 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Wienerberger, Betoniluoma, Kiimingin kaluste, Parma, Suomen Graniittikeskus
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Professionals: Avarrus Arkkitehdit Oy, Insinööritoimisto Leo Maaskola Oy, Sitowise, Indepro, Helimäki Akustikot Oy, +1
On the Latest Representation Trends and Immersive Experiences in Virtual Design Platforms: SpaceForm x CRA
In 2021, CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati’s proposal to create sustainable alternatives for urban heating networks was selected as one of four winners of the global Helsinki Energy Challenge. The project entitled Hot Heart proposed “island-like, floating seawater reservoirs to heat the city of Helsinki in a green way”. Using Twinmotion, Epic Games’ real-time visualization platform for the architecture industry to design the intervention, the large scale infrastructural project needed a digital representation tool to possibly put scale into perspective, offer a real immersive experience to engage the client, and exhibit instant changes related to natural factors such as daylight. Come SpaceForm, a data-driven virtual presentation and design tool. Created to facilitate remote cooperation, the technology allows clients or stakeholders to be more immersed in the story of the design.
University of the Arts Helsinki / JKMM Architects
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Architects: JKMM Architects
- Area: 13000 m²
- Year: 2021
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Manufacturers: Bermanto Oy, Jaatimet Oy, Raikkonen Oy, Vitrea Oy
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Professionals: Lujatalo Oy, Vahanen Oy, Sitowise Oy, Pöyry Finland Oy, Ramboll Finland Oy, +2
Explore Architecture Studios from Around the World Through the Lens of Marc Goodwin
Moving forward with his "ultra-marathon of photoshoots", architectural photographer Marc Goodwin is putting together an Atlas of Architectural Atmospheres by Arcmospheres, a project that seeks to document diverse architecture and design studios from around the world. Since 2016, the architectural photographer has been traveling "far and wide to capture the atmospheres of architecture studios in order to produce an online and print resource for the architecture community", and after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Goodwin resumed his project with an exploration of Berlin's architecture offices, capturing the work environment of renowned firms such as Hesse, LAVA, JWA, and FAR frohn&rojas, to name a few.
Helsinki Redesigns Its Maritime Façade Through an International Competition
Helsinki seeks to transform the Makasiiniranta area into an extension of its pedestrian city centre through a competition that will reshape a significant part of its maritime façade. The two-phase competition has shortlisted nine international groups whose proposals were made available for public feedback under anonymity. As most of the former industrial areas of the city have been redeveloped, Makasiinirantais is the last part of the old harbour waiting to undergo transformation and the most significant one, as it is considered a nationally valuable environment.