Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Finnish Architecture & Design
Whatever the scale, the primary challenge is to create beautiful, functional and liveable spaces. Photos/illustrations, clockwise from bottom left: Marja Vantaa; Kivistö centre, Harris-Kjisik Architects; Helsinki eastern harbour, Harris-Kjisik Architects; Jyväskylä travel centre, Jussi Tiainen.
The urban pioneers With a reputation in Scandinavia and the Baltics as one of the most influential architectural and urban design practices, Harris-Kjisik Architects has worked on projects spanning three decades and three continents. With nearly 40 awards and prizes from national and international competitions under its belt, the firm’s work is at the forefront of Scandinavian urban design and architecture, putting its focus on the social and health sectors. By Ndéla Faye
“We believe that architecture and urban planning are one and the same – we do not differentiate between the two,” says Hennu Kjisik, co-founder of Harris-Kjisik Architects and Planners. The firm’s expertise lies in innovative architectural and urban design projects, with a focus mainly on the design of public buildings, urban spatial regeneration and strategic planning. Their office has had professional and academic involvement in more than 30 countries. 102 | Issue 82 | November 2015
Trevor Harris and Hennu Kjisik founded Harris-Kjisik Architects and Planners in 1985. In addition to offering expertise in the health and social services sectors, both architects are actively involved in teaching and research in Finland and abroad. Kjisik is the professor of urban design at the University of Oulu while Harris is the professor of urban design at Aalto University, together representing two-thirds of Finland’s academic urban design elite.
Some of their completed works include new builds and restoration work, the most significant being various schools in the Helsinki area, a transport interchange in Jyväskylä and a building maintenance depot on the historic island fortress of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The firm also recently completed a major report on tall building principles for the city of Espoo, Finland. “Each project is designed in the context of an existing space; we carefully consider the surrounding space and design accordingly to ensure that the design subtly completes the urban fabric. We also believe sustainability to be a key aspect; we take it into account in the design and shape of the buildings, as well as in the materials we use,” Kjisik explains. “The spaces in between buildings are just as important as the buildings themselves,” he continues. “We use the Italian Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti’s saying as our motto: ‘A city is like a small house and a house is like a small city’. Whatever the scale, the primary challenge is to create beautiful, functional and liveable spaces.”
For more information, please visit: www.h-k.fi