Chappe Art House / JKMM Architects

Curated by Hadir Al Koshta

Text description provided by the architects. Chappe is a new three-storey art house by the sea located on the southern coast of Finland in the historic town of Tammisaari founded in 1546 and known for its timber architecture dating back to the 18th Century. A popular summer destination, Tammisaari punches above its weight in terms of its cultural offer with museums, galleries and a cinema dating from 1912. Located in the museum quarter in the heart of Tammisaari's old town, Chappe is a 1,210 sqm addition to this mix of cultural attractions. In fact, an essential element of JKMM's brief in designing the art house was to connect it to the existing art complex set in and around the regional Raseborg Museum. Physically, this is achieved through an underground link from the basement level of Chappe and through a shared museum garden. The Chappe Art House is focused on exhibiting contemporary art with a programme of two main exhibitions per year. Its name – Chappe – is derived from its founding donator Professor Albert de la Chapelle (1933–2020) whose support made this project possible. De la Chapelle was a medical doctor and prominent researcher in the field of molecular genetics in addition to being an avid collector of Nordic art. He grew up in Lindö some 20km from Tammisaari, so Chappe is very much a project that is rooted in the family's history. The Chairman of the Albert de la Chapelle Art Foundation, Henrik de la Chapelle says, "Chappe is an important addition to Tammisaari, bringing year-around cultural interest to a traditionally seasonal seaside destination and thereby making a significant contribution to both the social and economic vitality of the region."