STAY IN TOUCH: PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE NORDIC CONTEXT

Stay in Touch – Public Architecture in the Nordic Context, displays eighteen Nordic projects responding to the social dimensions and values of resilient and dynamic architecture. Finland, Norway and Sweden are represented by six projects each, showing architecture that put humans in contact with their senses, from the intimacy of the sauna to the opulence of the opera house, and invite the public to meet, make contact, and stay in touch.

What constitutes a meeting place?

We assume that architecture has the power to assign meeting places. Yet meetings take place anywhere, in places without any particular design intentions, under a tree, in the only gas station for many miles, on the sunny corner of the street. The unintended meeting place is as valuable as the place where architecture is summoned to support interaction between people. The capacity of society to offer accessible and inclusive public spaces for any human interaction, from the chance encounter to the organized assembly, is part of what fundamentally constitutes a democracy. Being a citizen is being a part of this. Architecture enables humans to establish and maintain relationships – to stay in touch.

Public architecture in the Nordic context is not a monument – if there is an expression of grandeur, it is often delegated to the natural settings. In the exhibited projects, a contemporary interpretation of the monument can be detected. The architecture articulates, a kind of soft monumentality in terms of a lasting evidence or a reminder, that relates to the Nordic legacy of sustainable architecture. The buildings aspire to stay in touch with nature, whether you are protected from or exposed to the elements. These contemporary common places put humans in contact with their senses, from the intimacy of the sauna to the opulence of the opera house.

In response to the Nordic cultural and social identity, public space is embraced as a place to stay, quite casually, whether the public space involves people in activity or invites to contemplation (reflection). A strategy to activate urban public spaces is to invest quality in the architectural surfaces, as seen in some of the exhibition’s projects, while a more contemplative public space may adopt the motif of the hearth or the bonfire. In response to the social dimensions and values of resilient and dynamic architecture, the Nordic exposition invites the audience to meet, make contact, and stay in touch.

The exhibition ”Stay in Touch” presents the following architects and projects:

Finland

Selection by The Museum of Finnish Architecture:

Cultural Center Sandels, Helsinki, Finland, 2007.
Arkkitehtitoimisto Helander Leiviskä/ Juha Leiviskä and Rosemarie Schnitzler.
helander.leiviska@kolumbus.fi

Finland Pavilion Kirnu, Shanghai World EXPO 2010, China
JKMM Architects: Asmo Jaaksi, Samuli Miettinen, Teemu Kurkela and Juha Mäki-Jyllilä. Head Designer Teemu Kurkela.
www.jkmm.fi

Katajanokka Guest Harbour and Winterswimmers Centre, Kanavaranta, Helsinki, Finland, 2005
Arkkitehtitoimisto Häkli Ky/ Seppo Häkli and Risto Huttunen.
www.arkhakli.fi  

Kyly Sauna, Billnäs, Raasepori, Finland, 2009.
Avanto Architects/ Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara.
www.avan.to  

Lilja – a Movable Chapel, Oulu, Finland, 2005.
Anttinen Oiva Architects Ltd/ Vesa Oiva.
www.aoa.fi

Public Toilets, Suomenlinna Fortress, Helsinki, Finland, 2006
Arkkitehtitoimisto P&P Manner Oy/ Bitumi Manner and Pekka Manner.
www.pbmanner.fi

Norway

Selection by The National Museum – Department of Architecture, Oslo:

The Geopark, Kjerringholmen, Stavanger, Norway, 2008.
Helen & Hard/ Siv Helene Stangeland and Reinhard Kropf.
www.hha.no

Gurisentret - Outdoor Stage and Visitors` Centre, Edøya, Smøla, Norway, 2009.
Askim/Lantto ArkitekterAS/Jens Petter Askim AS with Niels Marius Askim, Lars Lantto and Jens Petter Askim.
www.askim-lantto.no

Norway Pavilion Powered by Nature, Shanghai World EXPO 2010, China
Helen & Hard/ Siv Helene Stangeland and Reinhard Kropf.
www.hha.no 

Fireplace for children , Trondheim, 2009.
Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter/ Marit Justine Haugen and Dan Zohar.
www.hza.no

Roof of the Oslo Opera House, Bjørkvika, Oslo, Norway, 2008
Snøhetta.
www.snohetta.com

Viewpoint and Landscape Hotel Gudbrandsjuvet, Valldal, Trollstigen, Gerianger, 2008.
The project is a part of National tourist routes with projets by different architects.
Jensen & Skodvin arkitektkontor/ Jan Olav Jensen and Børre Skodvin.
www.jsa.no

Sweden

Selection by The Swedish Museum of Architecture:

The Citadel Bath, Landskrona, Sweden, 2006.
Wingårdh Arkitektkontor/ Gert Wingårdh.
www.wingardhs.se

Entrances to the Skuleskogen National Park, Ångermanland, Sweden, 2010.
Andersson Jönsson Landskapsarkitekter/ Thomas Andersson, Håkan Blanck, Anders Jönsson, Brita Holmberg and Formverkstan Söder/Per Liedner.
www.aj-landskap.se

Kalmar Museum of Art, Kalmar, Sweden, 2008.
Tham & Videgård Arkitekter/ Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård.
www.tvark.se

Observatory, Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden, 2002.
Gunilla Bandolin.
www.bandolin.se

Piazza Taxingeplan, Tensta, Sweden, 2006.
International Festival/Tor Lindstrand and Mårten Spångberg in collaboration with Tensta Centre of Contemporary Art, Front and LLP/Larsson Lindstrand Palme arkitektkontor.
www.international-festival.org

Stapelbäddsparken – The Slipway Park, Malmö, Sweden, 2005-2011.
The City of Malmö in collaboration with Föreningen Bryggeriet, STPLN I Stapelbäddsparken, ABF Malmö, Placed To Ride and Entre-Prises Sweden.
www.stapelbaddsparken.se