Past, Present and Future ARCHITECTURE OF FINLAND

Finland, a European country of five and a half million people, with a surface of three hundred and thirty-eight thousand, four hundred and fifty-five square kilometres, possesses over eight hundred years of architecture.

The main building material for public and private buildings during this period was wood due to the predominant forests. Stones were also used as a material for construction, although not as predominant as wood, and they can be found in castles, stone churches and fortresses. Architecture of Finland has also contributed a lot to some styles of architecture including Functionalism, Art Nouveau and Nordic Classicism.

Finland is also home to one of the most notable modernist architects, Alvar Aalto with notable works such as Baker House dormitory and Viipuri Library. Alvar Aalto was a major figure in bringing modernist architecture’s functionality and organic style to Finland.

Sauna is very popular and readily accessible to all in Finland, with over three million saunas in a country of five and a half million populaces. The oldest known saunas in Finland were made from pits dug into a slope in the ground and primarily used as dwellings in the wintertime. It is a type of dry steam bath with a temperature degree of 60 – 120 °C, whose purpose is to thoroughly cleanse the body through bathing and open pores in the skin through heat. The recommended wood type is cedar due to its insulating ability and ability to handle moisture well. Saunas floors are made of either concrete, tile or wood, and the interior is insulated with an aluminium vapour barrier and standard fibreglass.

Saunas are a very important cultural heritage among the Finnish people. saunas have modernized with the evolution of time and the most popular saunas are presently run by electricity. faster to heat up and provide better heat and cleanliness. These saunas are heated majorly by electricity and are known as infrared saunas. The future of saunas will involve using 3D modelling to design and produce these saunas and are transported to where they are needed. Saunas will also be designed with sustainability in view, with the use of modern fabrication technology and software.

The oldest known saunas in Finland were made from pits dug into a slope in the ground and primarily used as dwellings in the wintertime. It is a type of dry steam bath with a temperature degree of 60 – 120 °C, whose purpose is to thoroughly cleanse the body through bathing and open pores in the skin through heat.

The search for a Finnish independent style of architecture was led by Aalto and Saarinen in 1890. Saarinen created the Finnish National Romanticism through the combination of elements of Art Nouveau and Historicism with Finnish traditional building material, which is wood.

The Finnish Architects Club was established in 1892. The association started voluntarily, and it was a forum meant for discussion and collaboration with the profession. The architectural policy program of the Finnish government was launched officially on December 17, 1998. The policy process was executed as a result of efforts by architectural institutions and associations.

Stone construction was initially rare in Finland, with the use in churches and castles construction. It became increasingly popular due to the need to protect the city by creating fortresses against perceived opposition, and also for the construction of different churches. Heavy granite stones were used for these castle constructions. These buildings were majorly a single interior space and possess massive walls. The dominance of Sweden after expanding into Finland also brought and defined the architecture of the period. This period was characterized by vernacular-style single-storey wooden buildings on a grid street plan.

Neoclassical was a style of architecture was developed in Finland majorly by Johan Albrecht Ehrenström, a military engineer under the orders of the czar. The style is characterized by simple geometric forms, detailing using the Roman, Doric or Greek order, grand scale volumes and dramatic columns.

Neoclassical architecture aimed to remove the excesses of the Baroque style of architecture. Modern architecture was popular in Finland with Aalto Alvar, a Finnish architect, a major proponent of this style of architecture. The modern architectural style involved the use of new technologies such as reinforced concrete, steel, and glass to build. This style of architecture also created the school of thought that embraced minimalism and reduced the ornamentation of buildings (Form follows function). The father of modernism (Alvar Aalto) was Finnish, and he developed his unique style of modern architecture through the use of local materials (wood) and embracing functionality.

The increased adoption of wood to create sustainable and contemporary architecture is on a rise in Finland. Wood has been adopted after much research into building materials that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector. The last two decades have seen the increased development of Finnish wood architecture through key projects such as pavilions, allwooden multi-storey flats and churches.

Courtesy of Re-thinking the Future www.re-thinkingthefuture.com