The second year of the Finlandia Prize of Architecture is heralded by this new shortlist. The prize was founded in 2014 by the Finnish Association of Architecture, which awards “…contemporary Finnish architecture in recognizing new or renovated projects that exhibit a high caliber of design excellence completed in the last three years.” The prize is open to all architects and architectural firms, Finnish and non-Finnish, for a project built within Finland or abroad. “This year’s shortlist includes five distinct projects designed by architects representing several generations, from professionals working since the 1960s to the 2000s.”
The entries this year are similar in their considerate approaches to the context, namely facades on elevation, which makes for a standard shortlist. The string of similarity in each of the projects provides a sense of what the prize is about – a sombre, more polite architecture, which doesn’t necessarily mean boring. The winning project will have to stand out in poetically rather than visually as with many prizes, unlike a competition brief. The prize was snapped up by Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects in Warsaw in the previous year for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The winning project for 2015 will be announced during the course of this year and picked by Finnish composer, Kaija Saariaho.
The shortlisted projects include:
Courtesy of OOPEAA
Puukuokka in Kuokkala, Jyväskylä by OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture
Courtesy of JKMM Architects
OP House in Vallilat, Helsinki by JKMM Architects
Courtesy of Arkkitehtitoimisto Esa Ruskeepää Oy
Opinmäki School Complex, Espoo by Esa Ruskeepää Architects
Courtesy of Heikkinen Komonen Architects
Kangasala Art Center by Heikkinen-Komonen Architects
Courtesy of NRT Architects
Merenkulkijanranta in Lauttasaari, Helsinki by Arkkitehdit NRT Oy
Thelma Ndebele is an editor at Arch2O and a part-time lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. With a background in architecture and critical spatial research, Thelma’s academic work explores the intersections of urbanism, cultural identity, and public space. Their editorial contributions reflect a commitment to unpacking the socio-political dimensions of architecture, especially within African urban contexts. Through both teaching and writing, Thelma engages with emerging discourse on inclusive design, making them a thoughtful and vital voice in Arch2O’s academic and editorial landscape.