The Aalto ConnectionA Famous Name Attracts 674 Entries 
Winning entry by Sini Rahikainen, Hannele Cederström, Inka Norros, Kirsti Paloheimo, Maria Kleimola
Images courtesy ©Alvar Aalto Foundation
Extensions to buildings are normally regarded as significant projects by most architects, whereas linking two existing structures might appear as a lesser priority. On rare occasion of such a significant linkage, which took place between two buildings at Pratt Institute in New York was the project by Steven Holl, which had to deal with differing floor levels in fitting the connection to the two structures.
Steven Holl Architects – Pratt Institute connection linking two buildings
Image courtesy ©Steven Holl
In joining two museums structurally, especially when designed by a world-renowned architect, the design bar is suddenly raised. Add to that the fact that the architect of both museums is a household name in his home country of Finland. With that in mind, the connector cannot be too high-profile, but must enhance, rather than detract from its two neighbors, at the same time becoming part of a greater composition. When confronted with the question of solving such a challenge—connecting two museums designed by Alvar Aalto—the Finnish city of Jyväskylä turned to an international design competition for a solution. Even considering the rather small size of the project, the Aalto name alone was enough to attract the submission of 674 entries. Sponsored by the Alvar Aalto Foundation, and adjudicated by an all-Finnish jury, the aims as expressed in the brief were clear: “In its criteria the competition jury stresses the need for an integrated architectural approach and the technical and economic feasibility of the design. It is particularly important that the winning entry should suit this nationally important cultural environment, and that it should find a way of creating a seamless link with Alvar Aalto’s architecture.” Important to note is that a plaza is created by linking the two buildings, introducing the importance of landscape design. As is often the case with Scandinavian juries, the majority of the members were local stakeholders, with two architect appointees serving on the behest of the National Finnish Architectural Association.
At the conclusion of judging, An entry called “Silmu” (Finnish for a leaf bud) by a team of young Finnish architects was announced as the winner of the international Ruusupuisto design competition.
By staging a competition for a project of relative modest size, but high-profile in its importance, the Finns have shown that competitions for smaller projects can also be the subject for important solutions. First Place by Sini Rahikainen, Hannele Cederström, Inka Norros, Kirsti Paloheimo, & Maria Kleimola – Finland
Images courtesy © Alvar Aalto Foundation
Second Place by Tarmo Juhola, Essi Peltola, & Anna Juhola – Finland
Images courtesy © Alvar Aalto Foundation
Third Place by SMAR Architecture Studio – Madrid/Western Australia
Images courtesy © Alvar Aalto Foundation
Purchase #1 by Arkkitehtuurityöhuone BUENAVENTURA – Finland
Images courtesy ©Alvar Aalto Foundation
Purchase #2 by Antti Soini / Leo Lindroos– Finland
Images courtesy © Alvar Aalto Foundation
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Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Competition
Image: ©KPMB Architects
Not to be outdone by other Canadian provincial capitals, Halifax has chosen to make its own ambitious museum statement on the city’s waterfront. New museums in Vancouver, BC, Calgary and Fredericton, New Brunswick, the latter two by KPMB Architects, are either in development or already under construction. Saskatoon’s Remai Modern by KPMB and OMA’s Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Montréal were more recently completed, and Vancouver’s new Art Museum by Herzog & de Meuron is still under development. Read more… Young Architects in Competitions When Competitions and a New Generation of Ideas Elevate Architectural Quality
by Jean-Pierre Chupin and G. Stanley Collyer
published by Potential Architecture Books, Montreal, Canada 2020
271 illustrations in color and black & white
Available in PDF and eBook formats
ISBN 9781988962047
What do the Vietnam Memorial, the St. Louis Arch, and the Sydney Opera House have in common? These world renowned landmarks were all designed by architects under the age of 40, and in each case they were selected through open competitions. At their best, design competitions can provide a singular opportunity for young and unknown architects to make their mark on the built environment and launch productive, fruitful careers. But what happens when design competitions are engineered to favor the established and experienced practitioners from the very outset? This comprehensive new book written by Jean-Pierre Chupin (Canadian Competitions Catalogue) and Stanley Collyer (COMPETITIONS) highlights for the crucial role competitions have played in fostering the careers of young architects, and makes an argument against the trend of invited competitions and RFQs. The authors take an in-depth look at past competitions won by young architects and planners, and survey the state of competitions through the world on a region by region basis. The end result is a compelling argument for an inclusive approach to conducting international design competitions. Download Young Architects in Competitions for free at the following link: https://crc.umontreal.ca/en/publications-libre-acces/ Urban Adaptation Competition
Image ©Francesco Allaixand Julio Orduña
Recently we are beginning to see a resurgence of wood as a primary building material, not only for detached residential housing, but also for multi-family and commercial urban structures. Masonry, steel, and composite materials are still the bread and butter of the construction industry; but wood may be making serious inroads into the future of commercial buildings. Yes, we have seen the use of wood in interiors of large buildings: one of the more impressive projects being that of the Christ the Light Cathedral by SOM in Oakland, California. Read more…
Aerial view of site – Courtesy National Finnish Museum
When major cultural institutions in Finland plan a new building project, one can almost always assume that an open competition will be the vehicle by which the client settles on the building’s design. The only question is, will this be organized in a format open to local, Scandinavian, or international architects. In the case of the National Museum of Finland annex competition, it was open to architects throughout the world — resulting in 185 entries. Read more…
The Opening of Taichung’s Central Park by Catherine Mosbach/Philippe Rahm
View from the south with downtown Taichung in the distance image: ©Mosbach/Rahm
The abandonment and closing of airports, including decommissioning those that were used for military purposes, has presented design communities with several opportunities to convert them entirely to civilian purposes. Notable among those which have been the result of competitions are Orange County Great Park, Irvine, California (Ken Smith Landscape Architects), The Estonian National Museum (Dan Dorell, Lina Ghotmeh and Tsuyoshi Tane), and Toronto’s less successful Downsview Park competition, whereby the winning design by OMA, with trees as the primary feature, has been basically ignored. Instead, the area has become the site of numerous commercial and residential projects.
Read more…
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