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Five finalists shortlisted for Finlandia architecture prize

From a football stadium to a scientific research station, the finalists represent a wide range of Finnish culture.

A combination of photos of the stands at the Tammela stadium, the skylight of the Lastu educational building and the dining hall of the Lamminrahka school.
The finalists this year include educational facilities, a research station, a refurbished church and a football stadium. Image: Tuomas Uusheimo, Hannu Rytky, Niclas Mäkelä. Kuvakombo: Susanna Pesonen / Yle
  • Yle News

The Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) has announced the finalists for the 11th Finlandia Prize for Architecture.

Five projects are competing for the award, which does not include a cash prize.

The finalists are the Hyytiälä Forest Station in Juupajoki, Lamminrahka School in Kangasala, Lastu campus building in Järvenpää, Tammela Stadium in Tampere and the refurbishment of the Tapiola Church.

The winner will be selected in early October by Yle's war correspondent Antti Kuronen, who said in a SAFA press release that he has been thinking about architecture while touring the world's conflicts.

“One of the great things about Finland is that we invest in our public buildings across the length and breadth of the country, not just in the big cities. Equality is still a value that defines Finland and Finnish architecture. No one gets left behind,” Antti Kuronen said.

A pre-selection jury composed of Jenni Reuter, Harri Hautajärvi, Kirsi Korhonen and Matti Sanaksenaho chose the finalists, with Paula Huotelin acting as the jury's secretariat.

Hyytiälä Forest Station

Exterior view of Hyytiälä Forest Station. Three wooden buildings connected by footbridges, with lofty roofs.
An exterior shot of the Hyytiälä Forest Station. Three wooden buildings are connected by footbridges. Image: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy

The Hyytiälä Forest Station is a field base run by the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry that was established in 1910. A new main building at the station was completed last year, commissioned through a design and build competition.

Inside the Hyytiälä Forest Station. The space is furnished as a living space, with light wood on all surfaces. Large windows on the left and a staircase on the right.
The forest station boasts a bright interior. Image: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy

The jury highlighted the building's uniqueness, noting its open-minded concept inspired by Japanese wood architecture. Consisting of four pavilions, the building's spatial solutions are so simple that there is little need for corridors. The apartments have their own entrances directly from the terraces, making it easy to leave equipment outside to dry.

Lamminrahka School

The exterior of Lamminrahka School. A wooden three-storey building with a pitched roof. Trees and plants in the foreground.
The Lamminrahka School is a wooden building with a slanted roof. Image: Niclas Mäkelä

The jury praised the three-story training centre for its pleasant atmosphere, created by the brick and wood surfaces and its bright and beautiful interiors. The multi-purpose design includes a central foyer that serves as both a cafeteria and a gathering space.

Inside the Lamminrahka school. The space is clad in light-coloured wood panelling. The banister of the staircase is black metal. Below, the school dining room, with light wood tables and chairs.
The interior of the school is described as multifunctional and bright. Image: Niclas Mäkelä

The versatile courtyard with its woodland offers places for play, exercise and education. The building is seen as an example of successful municipal cooperation as it was built by the city of Kangasala, but also serves the people of Tampere living nearby.

Lastu

The educational building Lastu, a white wooden building. Exterior clad with vertical boards.
The exterior of the white Lastu building. Image: Hannu Rytky

The jury lauded STEP Education’s Lastu building for its creative and thoughtful use of wood. Notably, all the construction materials are designed for recyclability at the end of their lifespan.

Inside the Lastu educational building. Entirely built of solid wood, with a staircase and two floors. Natural light shines through the windows.
The wide staircase is the heart of the Lastu building. Image: Hannu Rytky

The timber-framed campus is described as human in scale and sculptural in architecture. The heart of the building is the wide staircase in the lobby, around which the teaching spaces are structured. The large windows in the main foyer open onto the lake and the chandeliers allow indirect natural light to flow in.

Tammela Stadium

Aerial view of Tammela stadium. The stadium in the middle of the blocks of flats, with the roof appearing to curve towards the centre. Around the edges are white apartment buildings.
The Tammela Stadium was completed last spring in the heart of Tampere. Image: Tuomas Uusheimo

Tammela Stadium, completed last spring in the centre of Tampere, was said to be "impressive in its sculptural quality" by the jury. The roof of the grandstand is suspended by cables, which means that there are no pillars and every seat has an unobstructed view of the pitch.

The jury also commended the Tammela Stadium development, which integrates a football pitch and stands with residential units, commercial spaces and parking facilities.

Tammela Stadium. Football is played on the green field, the crowd claps in the stands. The grandstand is protected by a canopy but there is no canopy above the pitch.
The stadium stands have an unobstructed view of the pitch. Image: Tuomas Uusheimo

The stadium’s suspended roof structure was highlighted by the jury as a "visually stunning addition" that does not impede spectators' views of the action.

However, the jury commented that the stadium's most valuable contribution is its ability to foster a sense of diversity and urban vitality in Tampere's centre.

Tapiola Church

Tapiola Church from the outside at dusk. A concrete, box-like building with large windows on one side.
The renovation of Tapiola Church has respected its original design. Image: Hannu Rytky

The Tapiola Church in Espoo was the only refurbishment project shortlisted for the prize. Tapiola Church needed renovations due to challenges related to humidity and ventilation.

The renovation, completed in 2021, succeeded in making the church more functional, healthier and safer.

Tapiola church from the inside. Church hall, black long pews, tiled floor and high grey stone pavement. A simple black cross on the altar and an organ on the left.
The interior of the Tapiola Church. Image: Hannu Rytky

The jury said that the restoration of the church represents the current restoration ideal where additions to classical architecture should be as unobtrusive as possible.

The jury remarked that the renovation was so seamless it appeared as though nothing had been altered from Aarno Ruusuvuori's original 1965 design, setting a benchmark for similar projects in Finland.

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