Concrete Architecture of the 21St Century Seeks Clarity and Simplicity
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C ONCRETE A RCHITECTURE IN FINNISH CONCRETE ARCHITECTURE of the 21st century seeks clarity and simplicity. The nature of the material is now emphasised more than previously and the facades within the whole are unassuming and harmonious, and with carefully executed details. Also the F plasticity of concrete has been utilised: the sur- INLAND PHOTOGRA faces curve and bend – thin and slender struc- tures, as well as heavy structures, have found their place. Architectural photographer Jussi Tiainen has skilfully captured in his photographs the ver- CONCRETE satile nature of concrete, its smoothness and ARCHITECTURE IN FINLAND coarseness, strength and sensitivity, hardness and softness, and light and shadow. For this book he has photographed the best of Finnish PHOTOGRAPHED BY concrete architecture from recent years – 16 different buildings, ranging from public build- P HED BY JUSSI JUSSI TIAINEN ings to a single-family house, and from new buildings to remodelling projects. Among the architects’ offices included are JKMM Archi- tects, Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects, and Heikkinen & Komonen Architects. The arti- cle at the beginning of the book by architect Maritta Koivisto, edtior-in-chief of the Finnish T journal Betoni [Concrete], opens an interesting IAINEN angle on the uses of concrete in building and architecture. ISBN 978-951-682-888-9 www.rakennustieto.fi Rakennustieto www.rakennustieto.fi P.O. Box 1004, 00101 Helsinki Finland Phone + 358 207 476 400 Photographs: Jussi Tiainen Cover: front cover, Turku City Library; back cover, Housing Company Triadi The project texts have been written by the architects themselves, except for Helsingin Triadi, Helsinki Courthouse, Aleksanterinkatu Bridge, Helsingin Arabianvillat, Weegee House and Verkatehdas, which have been written by Maritta Koivisto. Translation from Finnish and language consulting: Gekko / Gareth Griffiths and Kristina Kölhi Graphic design: Maria Appelberg Paper: 150 g Gallerie Art matt © Jussi Tiainen and Rakennustieto Oy Publisher: Rakennustieto Publishing Printers: Kariston Kirjapaino, Hämeenlinna, 2008 ISBN 978-951-682-888-9 ARCONCHITECTURECRETE IN FINLAND PHOTOGRAPHED BY JUSSI TIAINEN RAKENNUSTIETO PUBLISHING, HELSINKI CONTENTS 7 PREFACE 9 FINNISH CONCRETE ARCHITECTURE 17 CONCRETE ARCHITECTURE IN FINLAND / 16 BUILDINGS 18 TURKU CITY LIBRARY, TURKU JKMM Architects 28 HELSINGIN TRIADI HOUSING COMPANY, HELSINKI Huttunen-Lipasti-Pakkanen Architects 40 HELSINKI COURTHOUSE, HELSINKI Tuomo Siitonen Architects 46 THE EMERGENCY SERVICES COLLEGE, STAGE 4, KUOPIO Heikkinen & Komonen Architects 54 SÄTERI HOUSING COMPANY, ESPOO Brunow & Maunula Architects 62 TAPIOLA SWIMMING POOL, RESTORATION AND EXTENSION, ESPOO Nurmela-Raimoranta-Tasa Architects 68 ALEKSANTERINKATU BRIDGE, PORVOO Mikko Kaira Architects 74 HELSINGIN ARABIANVILLAT HOUSING COMPANY, HELSINKI ARK-House Architects 80 SENATE PROPERTIES OFFICE BUILDING, HELSINKI Heikkinen & Komonen Architects 88 WEEGEE HOUSE, ESPOO Airas Architects 96 EVIRA, FINNISH FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY, HELSINKI Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects 102 ENTER – SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL AND VOCATIONAL COLLEGE, SIPOO K2S Architects 106 TAPIOLA CHURCHYARD URN CEMETERY, espoo Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects 110 SAUNA AND GUEST FACILITIES IN THE BASEMENT, HELSINKI Seppo Häkli Architects 114 the VERKATEHDAS cultural anD congress centre, hämeenlinna JKMM Architects 120 VELLAMO MARITIME CENTRE, KOTKA Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects 129 CONCRETE IMAGES 6 Preface MATTI RAUTIOLA Professor, Director General, The Building Information Foundation RTS Publications about contemporary architecture are The photos emphasize that architecture essential- most often either biographies or monographs based ly grows from materiality. Concrete as a building ma- on different building types. They also may take a view- terial has its own rules, logic and language. It is pecu- point on the role of buildings in the public domain or liar and different from other materials. It is not strictly concentrate on one limited scale at a time, such as predestined to be used for a certain structure or scale. small structures or urban entities. Concrete Archi- The liquid material can take many forms, poured on tecture in Finland is different. It is a material-orient- site or prefabricated. Still, its reference to traditional ed photographic study of Finnish architecture as seen stone construction is evident. The atmosphere has the by the Finnish master of architectural photography, same feeling of eternity as the stone buildings of past Jussi Tiainen. centuries. The timelessness is born by means of light Jussi Tiainen´s photos are widely published in our and shadow, the solid verses the immaterial, and when country as well as abroad. He has worked with archi- openings justify the closed and heavy. tectural photography and the best architects for over The change in the conditions of the working envi- 30 years. For us in Rakennustieto he has published ronment in architecture can be seen through and in already seven books over a period of more than ten the use of material. The renovations of existing indus- years. trial buildings tell about a time when the materials This book is part of a continuous series of studies were expensive and scarce, but human labour cheap on Finnish architecture. The focus here is in the use of and available. The site-built structures were made of concrete in all aspects of architecture: exteriors, inte- concrete, and expressive in their intention to maxim- riors, structures, spaces, textures, details and objects. ise the structural function with minimum material. The It covers 23 designs, ranging from refurbishments to tendency in our time has been towards the opposite. new constructions, from bridges to private houses, The materials are affordable, construction mainly pre- from places of tranquillity to busy working environ- fabricated, but site work expensive. Fortunately both ments. The leading idea is the material – the reason, re- technologies still exist and new innovations are also source and source of architectural expression. making their mark – graphic concrete is a great ex- When Tiainen documents architecture the result is ample. very disciplined, concentrated and intensive. With his I confess that when I wrote the preface for Jussi vast experience, he is able to find the interesting and Tiainen´s previous book, Wood Architecture in Fin- surprising new views into the ideas of the architect land, I could not stop from dreaming already about and deepen the understanding of the art of building. the next one. To our great delight, my anxiety was not The photography is sensitive in touch and crystal clear in vain. Once again, I have the opportunity to thank in vision. He has the gift and skill to highlight with him for his beautiful work and for demonstrating that equal importance the intensity of the material and de- Finnish architecture is still alive and well. sign, both in the large urban scale as well as in the quiet, small details. 7 8 Finnish Concrete Architecture MARITTA KOIVISTO Architect SAFA, Editor-in-chief, Betoni THE IMAGE OF CONCRETE Concrete is what you make of it, or so the slogan for The strength of concrete lies in its aesthetics. The concrete goes. Concrete is stone made by man and language of concrete is simultaneously both coarse cast in a formwork. It always reveals its maker and it and lyrical. may also surprise. In architecture concrete has always found its own form, language and strength, its own creative expression. The image of concrete also con- CONCRETE AS A MATERIAL tains something primeval, even something mystical, something of the organic power of natural stone. Mon- Concrete is, due to the easy availability of raw ma- olithic concrete structures and mono-materialness cre- terials and simple production technology, the most ate an impression of a superior building material. used building material in the world. Concrete is “natu- The Finnish built environment has largely been built ral stone as adapted by man”, the ingredients of which from concrete, and thus we are used to its presence. – aggregate, cement and water, pigments and surface Perhaps this is why concrete also awakens strong treatments – form an adjustable and variable totality. emotions, images, thoughts and changing moods. Con- Its characteristic features are stoniness, coarseness, crete often brings to mind pairs of opposites, such as massiveness and ruggedness. Concrete must, how- the abundance of forms vs. minimalism, smooth vs. ever, not imitate one of its ingredients, that is, natural coarse, beautiful vs. ugly, warm vs. cold, strong vs. stone. Polemically expressed, concrete starts where sensitive, plastic vs. angular, soft vs. hard, light vs. natural stone ends. shadow, which bring their own nuance also to con- The appearance of concrete structures can be var- crete architecture. ied depending on the consistency of the aggregate, Concrete is considered a cheap and everyday ma- different finishes and colours, as well as coatings or terial, but it can also be festive and dignified. In con- renders. The architectonic and unique identity of the struction it represents durability and a long user life – building can be emphasised by different patterns on an ecological, natural material which, when used cor- the concrete surface and high-quality details. The sur- rectly, has a long lifespan. face of the concrete can be smooth, coarse, trowelled, Concrete undertakes a dialogue between the past patterned, washed, cut, rendered… Crushed stone and the future. Even though