Aboriginal Habitat
The Saami have developed a habitat in perfect harmony with nature. Their habitats are of two kinds. On the one hand, this nomadic people use the so-called lavvu tent. The latter must be able to be put up by one person alone, hence the absence of cables and ropes. Its volume and size depend on the number of wooden poles, generally about ten, assembled around the top which takes the form of a tangle of branches. A space is left open to allow smoke to escape from the central hearth. The whole structure is supported by a tripod made from long forked branches. The reindeer skins covering the wooden frame were gradually replaced by cheap textiles. In parallel to this mobile habitat, the Saami also developed a permanent habitat called kota or goathi. If the shapes vary (circular, conical...), the structure is always the same: bent wooden poles form two arches around which the dwelling is organized. Inside, the different spaces are delimited by stones and logs. The whole structure is covered with an overlapping layer of birch bark held together by thick layers of sod or peat. The entire structure is usually supported on stones for stability and held together with pegged wooden posts. Throughout the structure, only wooden pegs are used. So you won't see any nails to hold it all together! In Utsjoki, opposite the church, there is a conical hut and a sod hut with a dirt floor, while in Inari, near the Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church, there are the remains of an old Saami winter camp.
The tradition of wood
Wood is abundant throughout the country and has been the most important building material in Finland since the beginning. The first wooden buildings did not require any tools other than the axe. The logs or planks are laid horizontally and held together by means of a cutting system that allows them to fit together in a stable and solid manner. These rather rural dwellings generally have a single interior space topped by a roof composed of a base of wooden slats covered with several layers of bark and long wooden posts forming a half-timbering, later replaced by the use of shingles or wooden tiles. The Seurasaari open-air museum has some very fine examples of this traditional housing, which still has a sauna that looks like a small cottage. At the same time, wooden churches are being developed. The originality of these structures lies in the presence of masts supporting the whole height of the building. These wooden poles or pillars are placed on the sides or in the corners of the main nave. Clarity and transparency of the layout characterize these churches. The other originality lies in the fact that each space (nave, ambulatory...) has its own roof, which gives a profusion of steeply sloping roofs, crowned with skylights and decorated with carved wooden details, creating amazing perspectives. The first plans, often rectangular in the manner of rural dwellings, gradually become more complex. The first plans, often rectangular in the manner of rural dwellings, gradually became more complex, with the appearance of Greek cross or double cross plans. Although this tradition of wooden churches goes back to the 11th century, the examples that have come down to us date mainly from the 17th century. Among the most beautiful examples are the old church of Petäjävesi with its Greek cross plan topped by a superb dome made entirely of pine, the Lutheran church of Tornio with its four-gabled bell tower and five spires, and the church of Kerimäki, which dates from the 19th century and can boast of being the largest wooden church in the world! If a large part of the traditional wooden heritage has disappeared during the expansion of the big cities, some urban centres have been preserved, such as Porvoo, which, in addition to having preserved a superb group of wooden houses sheltered in their little gardens, has also kept its medieval urbanism with its tangle of small winding streets. A picturesque atmosphere guaranteed, just like in Rauma!
Stone fortresses
After wood, the other main material of Finland is stone, and more specifically granite. Its use is, once again, attested since the origins, as shown by the astonishing funerary site of Sammallahdenmäki, gathering dozens of cairns or stone tumuli (here granite blocks) covering the megalithic tombs. It is from this same solid rock that the Swedes will use to elaborate their powerful defensive system, and this, from the 13th century. Among the most beautiful fortresses are: Turku Castle, the largest medieval building in Finland; Häme Castle, initially a wooden structure that was later rebuilt in red brick; andOlavlinna Castle, the first building to be defended against artillery with its three rounded towers and thick granite walls. The military architecture also reflects the architectural trends in vogue. The castle of Turku was thus refurbished in the style of the Renaissance, while in the 18th century, Baroque ideals developed, and were reflected in the plans of new fortified towns such as Hamina, whose powerful ramparts now house a circular town, a rallying point for eight roads organised according to a radial plan where clarity and symmetry reign. As for thefortress of Suomenlinna, it is a superb example of military and urban planning with its baroque square, its English gardens, its superb stone and brick vaults with Gothic accents and its astonishing Commander's House with classical lines borrowed from the Palladian style. This sober style, which underlines power and power, is found in the manor houses, privileges granted by the King of Sweden, and therefore the prerogative of rich families. The two most beautiful are Louhisaari Manor in Palladian style and Suur-Sarvilahti Manor in Dutch classical style. At the same time, stone is also used for the construction of churches, such asSt Olaf's Church in Jomala, probably one of the oldest in the country. Some buildings originally made of wood were progressively enlarged and embellished with stone elements, such as Turku Cathedral with its pillars and its superb stone and brick vault.
From neoclassicism to national romanticism
1812 marked a major turning point for Helsinki, which became the capital of the Grand Duchy. Johan Albrecht Ehrenström was commissioned to draw up a new plan for the city... This is how the tortuous medieval alleys gave way to a geometric plan with large avenues converging on theSenate Square. The buildings surrounding the Senate Square bear the mark of Carl Ludwig Engel, a Prussian architect and master of the neoclassical style. He was responsible for the powerful white Lutheran Church and the Council of State Palace with its pediments, cornices and colonnades. Engel's very imperial style can be found in many public buildings throughout the country, such as the beautiful town hall in Hamina. These classical lines were to be followed by an astonishing eclectic profusion of buildings, the first of which were neo-Gothic, such as the German church in Helsinki or the Verla factory, both of which were made of red brick, a material associated with power and prosperity. Other trends followed, such as the Dutch Renaissance style used in Turku's main library or the neo-Byzantine style of Helsinki's Ouspenski Cathedral. But the most remarkable representative of this eclecticism is undoubtedly the Erottaja fire station in Helsinki, combining the silhouette of a Gothic fortress in red brick with a tower (42 m high!) that looks like a Renaissance bell tower. This eclecticism was the starting point for a search for national identity that would triumph with national romanticism. This style, borrowing many of its motifs from Finnish mythology, was also close to the Germanic Jugendstil or Art Nouveau in its concern for everyday objects considered as arts and crafts, while borrowing certain symbols from the medieval period, from which it reused turrets and stone dungeons. National Romanticism also uses the formal innovations of the time, notably through superb ironwork that warms up the stone. This trend is represented by the famous Gesellius-Lindgren-Saarinen trio, who designed the Hvitträsk manor house, a picturesque log construction with a romantic appearance; the Pohjola Insurance building with its monumental granite arches and sculpted plant motifs; or the National Museum of Finland with its various turrets, the quintessence of medieval inspiration. But it was Eliel Saarinen alone who designed the Helsinki railway station with its stone giants and copper dome. The Tampere Cathedral with its stylized plant motifs and geometrically patterned rubble on the façade is also a superb example of this unique style.
Laboratory of modernity
Nordic classicism exalts vernacular traditions by blending them with neoclassical lines, like the Finnish Parliament with its Kalvola granite exterior, symmetrical layout and Corinthian columns. In opposition to these still very historicist styles, some advocated a more rational architecture, more oriented towards scientific ideals. This approach was initiated by Sigurd Frosterus (a great competitor of Saarinen's!) with the Stockmann Department Store and is perpetuated with an architecture often described as "white functionalism". But this rationality is not without a certain formal research, as shown by the curves with Art Deco accents of the military hospital in Tikka; the offices and warehouses of the SOK Cooperative in Rauma with their liner-like appearance; or the harmony of materials in Erik Bryggman's Chapel of the Resurrection, which announces the emergence of organic architecture. The two great representatives of this new architecture are Alvar Aalto and Reima Pietilä. Aalto's creations always combine functionalism, humanism, respect for the environment, appreciation of traditions and a rich plastic language. One can admire the soaring curves, the dialogue between materials, the integration into the surrounding nature with a special emphasis on light and the work on furniture and decorative details..., because Aalto is also a great designer (we'll tell you about it in a special report!) Among his most beautiful creations, don't miss:the Villa Mairea in Noormakki, the Paimo Sanatorium, the Aalto Villa in Helsinki, the Three Crosses Church in Hämelinna, his numerous creations in Jyväskylä, his work on the Otaniemi campus and of course the astonishing Finlandia Palace in Helsinki. Reima Pietilä is a master of plastic architecture in osmosis with nature, as shown by the Metso-Pietilä municipal library with its structure reminiscent of a snail's shell; the beautiful Mäntyniemi presidential residence with its granite structure pierced by nearly 300 windows; or the Lieksa church with its dome pierced by a cross-shaped opening that lets in filtered light. The two men were advocates of an organic architecture, but they also made use of the contributions of a booming industrialization, working on the development of standardized models of prefabricated wooden houses, which were produced in large numbers after the war. This period of reconstruction was also a time of new urban experiments. The first social housing appeared, the most famous of which was the Käärmetalo or serpentine building designed by Yrjö Lindegren. Its sinuous shape follows the topography of the place while creating community spaces and small individual courtyards. This emphasis on shared spaces can be seen in the Tapiola garden city in Espoo. Its name refers to Tapio, god of the forest; even the new urban forms cannot ignore the omnipresence of nature! The following decades would see the emergence of some fine examples of brutalism, such as the Hyvinkää church in Aarno Ruusuvuori, combining concrete, marble and pine, and of postmodernism, such as the very unstructured Cultural Centre in Espoo.
A sustainable future
Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, is probably the most famous "foreign" creation in Finland. Steven Holl is responsible for this astonishing curved glass and brass structure. The Spanish agency Mendoza Partida designed the wooden pavilion of the Gösta Serlachius Museum of Contemporary Art, which alternates glass surfaces and wooden strips for a superb effect of transparency and lightness. Apart from these international highlights, Finland is most famous for its amazing contemporary creations by Finns. It must be said that the country is an inexhaustible breeding ground for architects and designers! They focus on sustainable architecture, integrating perfectly with the environment and creating elegant bridges between eras. Among the creations not to be missed kampi's Chapel of Silence with its curved wooden structure reminiscent of a spaceship; the House of Music imagined according to a project entitled "a mezzo vocce", i.e. carefully respecting the surrounding building, including Aalto's Finlandia Palace; Helsinki's Oodi Central Library covered in spruce wood and bathed in light ; löyly, whose harmonious wooden structure follows the sinuosities of the rocky relief; the Apila Library in Seinäjoki, whose cloverleaf shape also borrows from the origami tradition; or the Sajos Cultural Centre in Inari, whose structure forms the letters of the word "Sami" meaning "base camp". And there are still many examples of this architecture which knows how to marry tradition and modernity like no other environment. So it's up to you to discover them!
