Finnish Modernism’s 10 must-sees

1. FINLANDIA-TALO (FINLANDIA HALL), helsinki

Designed by Alvar Aalto and completed in 1972, Finlandia Hall is Helsinki’s pre-eminent concert and congress hall and easily Finland’s most recognisable building. Rising up from beautiful Töölönlahti Bay in the middle of the city, this modest white fortress is a breathtaking sight to behold.

The Hall’s inclined, cathedral-like roof was built to enhance the acoustics and the warm interiors reflect nature’s own hues and forms. Finlandia Hall is stunning at any time of day but come at night and you will see a spectacular display of light as the hall is reflected in the bay.

Finlandia Hall building is a masterpiece and yet it feels very much like a monument for the people – Aalto himself insisted that it was designed with the citizens of Helsinki in mind. He wanted them to have a space where they would feel at home and in harmony with both the music and the natural setting.

2. Musiikkitalo, Helsinki

Next to Finlandia Hall, built on the site of the old rail yards in Helsinki’s Töölö neighbourhood, Musikkitalo is the city’s celebrated new classical music and concert hall that opened its doors in 2012.

Turku-based LPR architects won the design competition for their entry, A Mezza Voce, or “with moderate voice”. From an architectural perspective this means to tread lightly without disturbing the surrounding landscape. With this is mind and sensitive to the already famous landmarks within close proximity, from Finlandia Hall to Kiasma museum of contemporary art and the Parliament buildings, the designers conceived a structure that is both restrained and elegant.

One side of Musikkitalo’s facade is clad in green copper to integrate it with nearby parkland while the other is made of glass, reflecting the changing sky and cityscape. The interior is a blend of rich wood and light, providing both the feeling of being enveloped in sound and space and yet still linked to the outside world. Alvar Aalto had a vision of an interconnected series of cultural institutions that would span Helsinki’s Töölö Bay and railway yards. Musikkitalo would have fit into that vision effortlessly.

3.  OLYMPIASTADION (OLYMPIC STADIUM), helsinki

Another important example of modern Finnish architecture is the Olympic Stadium, designed by architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jantti and completed in 1938.

It’s hard not to feel the history that was made here when you stand on the field in the middle of the stadium. The 30s were the golden era for Finnish track and field but the world was watching in 1952 when the city of Helsinki hosted the 1952 Olympics and the USSR sent its first Olympic team ever to the summer games. In more recent years the stadium has provided the backdrop for big rock concerts from Madonna to U2 and Michael Jackson.

The stadium’s most distinguishable feature is its tower, which measures the same height as Matti Jarvinen’s gold-medal throw, 72.71 metres, in the 1932 Olympics. For one of the best views of the city, take a trip to the top. There is also a restaurant, a sports museum and a hostel located within the tower.

Olympiastadion will be closed for renovations in 2016 and will reopen 2019.

4. KAMPPI CHAPEL OF SILENCE, helsinki

Set down like an elegant space ship in the middle of one of Helsinki’s busiest shopping districts, Kamppi Chapel of Silence is a thing of beauty whose presence is both surprising and a welcome refuge in the city’s dense urban landscape.

Since its completion in 2012 for Helsinki’s tenure as the Design Capital of Europe, the building has attracted visitors from all over the world. It is also easy to simply stumble up on it by accident. This is perhaps what KS2 architects, the design team behind Kamppi Chapel, intended.

The curved structure, which appears to be spun out of wood, looms large but does not impose itself where it has landed. It is a curiosity that beckons and you will find yourself circling round it in search of the entrance. The multi-faith chapel welcomes everyone and is an opportunity for reflection in our otherwise hectic lives. Inside, candles flicker and cast shadows on the walls, felt cushions in the shapes and colours of giant pebbles are strewn about, and daylight falls from the vaulted wooden ceiling to create a soft, contemplative glow on the pews below.

A few minutes spent in the Chapel of Silence is an elixir for the soul.

Photo: Kaisa Luukannel

5. HALTIA – FINNISH NATURE CENTRE, espoo

Situated just 25 kilometres outside Helsinki on the edge of Nuuksio National Park, Haltia is a striking model of  sustainable architecture. Designed by Lahdelma and Mahlamäki Architects, and inspired by a mythical goldeneye bird from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, the graceful building won the Finnish Wood Prize in 2013. It is the first public building in Finland built entirely of wood.

The human footprint left behind after the construction of Haltia is small. The design team tread softly — the use of wood, natural light, geothermal and solar heating all contribute to make this an environmentally friendly manmade structure.

Whether you choose to explore the beauty of Finnish nature through the centre’s exhibitions or enjoy a guided tour of the park, a trip to Haltia is a trip into the wild.

6. AALTO HOUSE, helsinki

No tour of Helsinki’s modernist buildings is complete without a visit to Aalto’s house in the Munkkiniemi suburb. Here is where Alvar and Aino Aalto were able to both design and actualize their perfect home and studio.

Nature was left virtually undisturbed in the construction of the house – a white brick modernist structure clad in wood and covered in trailing vines. The Aaltos worked with natural light and embraced the natural landscape while at the same time designing a house that would protect them from Finland’s harsh winter climate. Large windows face the sun and provide garden views, multiple terraces and open hearths suggest a love of the outdoors and yet the external walls are solid and well insulated. This was a house for all seasons.

Completed in 1936, the Aalto House was a model of simplicity as well as a template for other architectural projects. It is often compared to Villa Mairea though on a much more modest scale. But for anyone who has an appreciation for design, this masterful example of beauty achieved through simplicity is a tour de force.

7. VILLA MAIREA, PORI

In 1939 Alvar Aalto and his wife Aina were commissioned to design Villa Mairea, a summer house for their friends, the wealthy industrialist couple Harry and Maire Gullichsen, in Noormarkku, Finland. The Gullichsens were lovers of modern art and encouraged the Aaltos to experiment freely.

The result is a whimsical layering of various styles and materials that suggest not only different rooms but moods. Interior and exterior are deliberately confused: large windows invite the outside in and the birch forest is mirrored by a man-made forest of wooden columns cut at different lengths throughout the villa. The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens and the entire structure is wrapped around a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Villa Mairea contains an extensive collection of modern art and guided tours are available to the public.

8. ST HENRY’S ECUMENICAL ART CHAPEL, turku

If you are visiting Turku, you must pay homage to this enchanting Art Chapel located on the island of Hirvensalo. Its stark simplicity is both awe-inspiring and humbling. Designed by Sanaksenaho Architects and completed in 2005, St Henry’s Ecumenical Art Chapel is a monument to the surrounding nature and a nod to early Christian churches.

Built on the rocks amidst a pine forest, the exterior resembles an upturned boat. Clad in copper, it will fade with time to an earthy green that blends in with the trees. As you walk inside, you enter the belly of a fish, its ribs made of pine that will also turn colour with age. Light streams in from one end to cast magical warmth on this extraordinary example of modern finnish wood architecture.

Photo: Jussi Tiainen

Whether you are religious or not, take a moment to sit down and contemplate the silence of the Finnish nature in this beautiful space.

The Chapel also functions simultaneously as an art gallery.

Photo: Jussi Tiainen

9. METSO-KIRJASTO (city library), TAMPERE

Metso Library in the city of Tampere is perhaps more otherworldly than Finnish by design. The circular structure curves in and around itself like the shell of a snail. There are no sharp corners to be found. It is also referred to in Finland as a Capercaillie or Wood Grouse because when seen from above it resembles a bird carrying a shield.

Designers Raili and Reima Pietila took inspiration from celtic symbols and glacial formations to create their award-winning entry for the new library which was completed in 1986. The couple embraced the concept of Organic Modernism and tested the boundaries of what was considered Finnish Modernism with their own personal and often quirky take on it.

Tampere is located just two hours north of Helsinki between lakes Nasijarvi and Pyhajarvi and worth the drive to see this unusual building.

10. CULTURAL CENTRE SAJOs, Inari

If you are going to see the Northern Lights, pay a visit to the town of Inari and the striking new cultural centre and parliament house for Finland’s indigenous Sami people. The stark beauty of Finnish Lapland provided HALO Architects with an open canvass when they designed  Sajos, a word that translates from the Sami to mean “base-camp”.

Perched on the edge of the River Juutua, Sajos is an impressive yet humble landmark in this remote locale. The wood-clad exterior has a rugged look that reflects the landscape and is in contrast to the smooth pine interior that radiates warmth and light.

Once more, Finnish modernism exemplifies the need to sit quietly with nature in order to create spaces that are both compassionate and sustainable.