Archinect - News

This mass timber sauna in Finland appears as a natural extension of its rocky surroundings

2024-09-23T18:34:00-04:00

On an island within the Finnish archipelago, a sleek, pebble-shaped sauna seems to delicately balance atop a small rock formation. Called Kivi Sauna, the structure was designed by Helsinki-based design and architecture studio Sotamaa.

Image courtesy of Sotamaa

The firm’s design process was guided by a desire to foster a deep connection between the sauna and its surrounding environment, which is defined by the sea and the island’s stark rock landscapes.

Image courtesy of Sotamaa

The sauna was constructed with mass timber, specifically Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) sourced from Finnish forests. Its interior features vast CLT sheets, while its exterior is crafted from milled CLT panels. Between these layers lies a sturdy timber frame. The structure’s exterior is clad in Leadax, a waterproof membrane derived from recycled car windows, which functions as a sustainable replacement for traditional lead roofing. The material’s gray hue echoes the colors and reflections of the surrounding rocks ...

Steven Holl winds up Helsinki with Meander Housing design

2024-09-18T17:28:00-04:00

Steven Holl Architects, in collaboration with Newil&Bau, has opened a new multifamily development in Finland's capital called Meander Housing. The September 12th inauguration marks the end of a journey that first began in 2006 and underwent a period of dormancy before being constructed in just 2.5 years.

Image: Jenny Kallio

Helsinki’s Taivallahti Bay provides the backdrop to the 115-unit building that was recuperated from a former military barracks in the city’s Taka-Töölö district.

Image: © Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy

Holl designed the project as though building equivalent to a musical crescendo, with its 180 meter (591 foot) central volume tapering in section oriented to the ocean and fluctuating at various heights between two and seven floors.

Image: © Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy

Accordingly, it weaves or 'meanders' along a stem-winding path interspersed with strategically placed landscaped voids and wrapped in a glazed enclosure.

Image: Jenny Kallio

The wood materials used in its construction...

Nordic 'citizen design critics' are gaining influence thanks to their online popularity

2023-08-07T18:07:00-04:00

Founded in Sweden in 2014 as a public Facebook group, [Architectural Uprising] is a collective of citizen design critics who object to what organizers call the “continued uglification” of developments in Nordic cities, and push for a return to classically informed design. [...] The movement’s size and persistence, however, has earned it a seat in the discourse. “When [historians] talk about architecture during these years, [the Architectural Uprising] will be part of that history”

A new report in Bloomberg tells of the staying power of social media-driven architectural criticism. Projects lambasted by the popular (mostly) Scandinavian group include Oslo’s new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design by architect Klaus Schuwerk and estudio Herreros’ Munch Museum, which Oliver Wainwright also panned.

Its presence has apparently spurred Norwegian firm MAD Arkitektur’s concessions on the Sandakerveien 58 B/C renovation and other projects. Politicians in Norway have even begun reaching out for tacit endorsements in a turn mirroring the "ugly" debate in America concerning the design of federal buildings that has become a charge of late for Republicans in love with the concept of classicism in spite of its racist underpinnings and widely-critiqued past.

Nordic architects' open letter reignites scorching Autodesk criticism

2022-09-21T15:47:00-04:00

Some of Northern Europe’s leading architecture firms have signed an open letter lamenting the lack of “serious development” laden in Autodesk’s proprietary design software, an aging suite of tools the authors claim is asking usurious prices despite neglecting years of industry-wide complaints.

The letter addressed to Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost was written by the Association of Consulting Architects in Norway (AiN), the Association of Finnish Architects’ Offices (ATL), the Association of Architectural Firms in Iceland (SAMARK), and the Danish Association of Architectural Firms — each the largest professional architectural bodies in their respective Nordic home countries and representing more than 14,000 architects combined. Its contents included pointed criticisms of the multi-user license system, the incompatibility and lagging interoperability of Autodesk products to each other and to modern computing systems, and continual price gouging.

Their invective offers an update to a 202...

Electric car marker Polestar launches KOJA, a treehouse with an environmental message

2022-08-23T12:33:00-04:00

Electric car company Polestar has overseen the construction of KOJA, a treehouse designed by Finnish designer Kristian Talvitie which they say balances architectural beauty with a commentary on the climate emergency.

KOJA. Image © Polestar

Originally awarded an honorable mention at the 2021 Polestar Design Contest, the scheme has now been constructed in Fiskars, an artistic town in the Southwest of Finland. The scheme’s realization, a first for any Polestar winner, coincides with the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, a “topical, egalitarian platform for encounters between makers and enthusiasts.”

KOJA. Image © Polestar

KOJA derives its name from the Swedish word for “hut” or “den,” and manifests as a minimalistic treehouse, constructed from sustainable materials that seek to provide an immersive natural experience. The scheme balances this memorable natural experience with a prompt for visitors to help combat climate change and preserve the natural world.

KOJA. Image © Polestar...

As the threat of war mounts, Finland’s high-tech bomb shelter system lies ready and waiting

2022-04-26T18:23:00-04:00

As Finland mulls its possible entry into NATO, residents can feel a sense of safety thanks to the decades-old network of more than 54,000 bomb shelters mandated by the country’s Rescue Act, which requires any currently in-use buildings with a floor area of at least 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) to include such facilities.

A total of 85% of the shelters are operated privately, with most serving more practical peacetime roles as sports centers, shopping malls, and in some cases parking garages. The country’s past preparedness for other emergency situations paid considerable dividends at the outset of the pandemic, but Finnish civil defense officials maintain they aren’t looking forward to a system-wide litmus from the Russian military anytime soon.

“It’s sad to see what is happening in Ukraine,” Tomi Rask, a safety instructor at the civil defense cente...

Studio Libeskind’s Nokia Arena takes center ice in Finland

2021-12-16T13:13:00-05:00

An exciting new development is coming to one of the Nordic region’s most up-and-coming small cities as Studio Daniel Libeskind gets set to drop the puck tomorrow on a new ice hockey arena in Tampere, Finland.

Located along the intersection of a downtown railway axis, the mixed-use development also features hotel accommodations along with five residential towers meant to activate a downtown core that the firm characterizes as “the epitome of a thriving European City.”

Photo © Hufton+Crow

The 17,000-seat arena includes a casino and restaurant topped off by the hotel area and three luxurious rooftop saunas. Its curvilinear envelope suggests the speed and exhilaration of an attacking hockey forward on the power play, with variable cladding that breaks up the mass perfectly, culminating in a glass facade at ground level to meet both visitors and the city in the center of a well-organized urban scale development.

Photo © Hufton+Crow

“The Nokia Arena creates a new landmark for the city with ...

A Finnish architect unveils a new cottage design before stepping into the Olympics spotlight

2021-07-15T19:06:00-04:00

A Finnish architect with hopes for Olympic gold has unveiled her designs for a new log villa whose inspiration she says came to her during training for this year’s games in Tokyo.

Finland-based manufacturer HONKA is now offering an Olympic windsurfer’s designs for a cottage as part of a series of cost-efficient log villas tailored to cold archipelago environments.

Honka Tyrsky. Image courtesy Honka.

Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén is a practicing architect and Olympic silver medalist who previously served as standard-bearer for her country during the 2016 opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Her new Tyrsky model evokes waves at crest breaking onto shore in the seaside fishing villages where she had trained.

Honka Tyrsky. Image courtesy Honka.

The 1.5-story cabin is packed with high ceilings, a built-in sauna, and multipurpose mezzanine built from timber logs that enhance an ecological focus that has defined Petäjä-Sirén’s previous work. Two and three-bedroom versions of the home are available th...

A new study finds that multi-storied buildings made of wood sell for nearly 9% more than other construction in Helsinki

2021-05-24T18:04:00-04:00

A new study out of Aalto University in Finland shows that building with wood can be economically feasible. The research team analyzed statistical data from real estate sales in the Finnish capital of Helsinki and two suburbs between the years of 1999 and 2018. Of these, timber-built homes made up 2.23% of cases. The findings reveal that multi-storied buildings made from wood sold for an average 8.85% more than those made from other materials.

The study derives from the challenge of increasing urbanization and the need to meet the demand for new residential developments. Simultaneously, the building and construction industry is accountable for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Program. As cities across the world set ambitious carbon neutrality goals, finding ways to meet this demand while cutting construction emissions is extremely important. One approach and challenge is to use more environmentally friendly materials as m...

Finland proposes 13 Alvar Aalto sites for UNESCO World Heritage List

2021-02-03T15:06:00-05:00

Finland is updating its tentative list in line with the World Heritage Agreement [...] At the request of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish Heritage Agency has produced a proposal for the tentative list, “The Architectural Works of Alvar Aalto – a Human Dimension to the Modern Movement”, which has been created in close collaboration with experts from the Alvar Aalto Foundation and ICOMOS Finland.

According to an announcement by the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the tentative list of Alvar Aalto-designed modern Finnish buildings and districts to be nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List includes these 13 sites: Studio Aalto; The Aalto House; Finlandia Hall; Social Insurance Institution Main Office; House of Culture; University of Jyväskylä, Aalto Campus; Muuratsalo Experimental House; Paimio Sanatorium; Seinäjoki Civic Centre; Sunila Pulp Mill Residential Area; Säynätsalo Town Hall; Villa Mairea; and the Church of the Three Crosses, Vuoksenniska.

"The full series is still limited, and in practice cannot include all the sites that are considered important," said the foundation's Managing Director Tommi Lindh. "Nevertheless, it will add to interest in Aalto’s production as a whole, and in the Finnish architectural heritage."

Studio Puisto's Arctic TreeHouse Hotel offers village style accommodation units

2020-01-28T15:09:00-05:00

Located in the Arctic Circle, Finland, the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel draws inspiration from the nearby SantaPark Arctic World, the local Nordic nature and culture. Studio Puisto chose to do away with the typical hotel building, and instead designed a village of 32 units.

Each structure contains two shingle covered units with northern facing walls of glass, offering panoramic views to the exterior. The lighting within the hotel was designed to minimize artificial light pollution, allowing undisturbed viewing of the Northern Lights.

"Housing First" policies help Finland rein in homelessness

2020-01-13T19:56:00-05:00

In Finland, the number of homeless people has decreased significantly. The reason: The country applies the "Housing First" concept. Those affected receive - without prerequisite - a small apartment and advice. 4 out of 5 affected people create the path to a stable life. And: It is cheaper for the state than homelessness.

While local and federal governing bodies across the country have tried to implement plans to "end homelessness" with little in terms of success, something seems to be working in Finland.

According to a report by Kathrin Glöse of Kontrast, "in 2008 the Finnish government adopted a new policy for the homeless: it implemented the 'Housing First' concept. Since then, the number of people affected has dropped sharply."

For those unfamiliar with the "Housing First" concept, Glöse summarizes the policy: "[Housing First] reverses the traditional homeless help. It is often the case that those affected are expected to find a job and free themselves from mental problems or addictions. Only then will there be help in finding an apartment."

She continues, "'Housing first', on the other hand, is the other way around: homeless people get an apartment - without a requirement. Social workers help with applications for social benefits and are the contact for problems. In this new, secure starting po...

Helsinki-based JKMM announced winner of National Museum of Finland Design Competition

2019-12-05T17:41:00-05:00

The proposal, entitled "Atlas," designed by JKMM Architects, was selected for 1st place out of 185 entries. The project was in response to a two-stage anonymous design competition for the extension of the National Museum of Finland, which was organized by The Finnish Heritage Agency, the National Museum of Finland, Senate Properties.

Ariel view

Interior view

Building on the existing museum which opened in 1916 and was designed by the Finnish architecture firm Gesellius, Lindgren, and Saarinen, the 2019 competition brief called for additional exhibition space; workshops; a new restaurant in the museum's underused enclosed garden; and improved access including a new entrance for the Museum.

"Our entry, Atlas, reinforces our interest in how architecture can enable a sense of solidarity and belonging to a place," said JKMM founding partner Samuli Miettinen about the design approach. "The National Museum is a place that belongs to everyone and anyone in Finland and we thought its extensio...

How should cities brand themselves? A new initiative in Helsinki challenges this idea

2019-09-30T23:00:00-04:00

Is a city a brand? Recently in Helsenki a new marketing campaign has launched positioning the Finnish capital a "City as Service" or CaaS. According to this new "digital lifestyle subscription service" the aim for the initiative is to attract highly skilled tech professionals to the city.

According to their website CaaS is "an an all-inclusive service bundle that unlocks the entire city. This platform-to-be is on a mission to motivate, guide and help international tech talent feel at home in Helsinki." Positioning the mayor of Helsinki as a "CEO" their website provides a fascinating video highlighting what the city as to offer, in addition to a "free life-changing demo experience that everyone can apply to.

Those chosen to participate in the program will win a three-day trip to Helsinki in November and attend Slush, the "world's leading tech event."

What are your thoughts on this city branding idea? In an era where digital marketing is considered a must-have for businesses to gr...

The challenges of saving Alvar Aalto's architecture

2019-07-22T17:40:00-04:00

In his 50-year career, Aalto completed some 300 buildings, most of them in Finland. That’s an embarrassment of riches for a country of just 5.5 million people. About half of them are landmarked, and 14 of them, including Säynätsalo Town Hall, have “national monument” status—meaning they are covered by the country’s Act on the Protection of Buildings. Yet many of Aalto’s structures have outlived their original purposes.

The Wall Street Journal just published a captivating long-read by Fred A. Bernstein about the challenges of preserving Alvar Aalto's sizable built body of work when some of the aging buildings no longer serve any practical purpose or become too costly to maintain, including celebrated structures such as the 1933 Paimio Sanatorium, the Säynätsalo Town Hall completed in 1951, or his Finlandia Hall from the early 1970s.

"That puts them in a preservation limbo," writes Bernstein, "too important to tear down, but too expensive to be maintained merely as shrines to their creator."

Homelessness in Finland is falling. What is it doing right?

2019-06-05T15:34:00-04:00

Finland is the only EU country where homelessness is falling. Its secret? Giving people homes as soon as they need them – unconditionally [...] “We had to get rid of the night shelters and short-term hostels we still had back then. They had a very long history in Finland, and everyone could see they were not getting people out of homelessness. We decided to reverse the assumptions.”

Meanwhile in the U.S., major cities that have seen an influx of new wealth, such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles, continue to struggle in their fights against extreme poverty and homelessness despite allocating increased funding.

Muji designs autonomous shuttle bus uniquely fit for all weather conditions

2018-11-02T14:02:00-04:00

The Japanese retailer MUJI, known for their minimalist home furnishings and micro-apartment designs, has designed an autonomous vehicle. Teaming up with Sensible 4, a Finnish startup working on weatherproof technology for autonomous vehicles, the two companies have collaborated on a sleek new shuttle bus—the Gacha—uniquely designed to fit all weather conditions.

Companies looking to be global pioneers of automation technology have zoomed in on California and Southern Europe to develop their systems. The Finnish company believes that this will severely hinder the viability of autonomous technology to work in a variety of weather conditions. For example, Tesla's autopilot function works mainly as a video camera-based lane guard. However, as CEO Harri Santamala noted, "if it cannot see the lanes [due to the weather], it is easy to conclude what is going to happen."

Sensible 4's automation technology, alternatively, relies on a multi-sensor system, complete with thermal cameras and rada...

Putting its future preservation into question, owner of Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium in Finland extends bidding period

2018-09-25T17:54:00-04:00

Considered one of Alvar Aalto's most important works, it came as little surprise that news of a Finnish district's plan to sell the architect's Paimio Sanatorium was met with shock and attempts at appeal.

Architects from the Finnish Association of Architects formed the Pro Paimio Committee and, along with the Alvar Aalto Foundation, have been working to ensure that any future owners commit to preserving the original architecture, interiors and furnishings in their entirety.

Photo: Maija Holma, Alvar Aalto Museum.

The Sanatorium is a protected site and any buyer will have to abide by the restrictions this implicates. However, those advocating on behalf of the key work of modern architecture are concerned that certain new usages could wreck the original interior, which was uniquely tailored to the needs of tuberculosis patients for whom the facility was built.

"Paimio is an integrated oeuvre d’art of architecture: only when all these parts are kept together, do they show the beauty ...

Amos Rex, Helsinki's new underground (literally) art museum, to open this week

2018-08-28T18:29:00-04:00

In a vast expanse beneath the Finnish capital lies a soaring circus-top culture hub. Will the €50m Amos Rex art museum put the city at the forefront of Europe’s art scene? [...] “It is as if the museum didn’t quite agree to go underground,” says Asmo Jaaksi of local architecture firm JKMM, which masterminded the project, “and it’s somehow bubbling up into the square.”

"The architects hope their sloping landscape will become a spontaneous auditorium for outdoor concerts and events," architecture and design critic for The Guardian, Oliver Wainright, writes, "but even without any performances it has already become a magnet of activity in the middle of the city, whose oversized squares often feel a bit windswept."

Photo: Tuomas Uusheimo

Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium is now for sale

2018-06-06T15:44:00-04:00

Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium in Finland is now for sale. Currently owned by the Hospital District of Southwest Finland, the district has announced its plans to sell the building by fall of 2018. The bidding period will end on August 23.

Paimio Sanatorium by Alvar Aalto, 1933, located in Paimio, Finland. Image: LeonL/Flickr.

Considered a national heritage site, Aalto's Sanatorium was completed in 1933 bringing international recognition to the country. His modern design was carefully tailored to the needs of tuberculosis patients for which the facility was built.

Paimio Sanatorium by Alvar Aalto, 1933, located in Paimio, Finland. Image: LeonL/Flickr.

Paimio Sanatorium by Alvar Aalto, 1933, located in Paimio, Finland. Image...

Requiem - Lahdelma & Mahlmäki’s Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad

2018-01-16T23:44:00-05:00

Lahdelma & Mahalmäki Architects have unveiled Requiem, their competition proposal for the Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, St. Petersburg. The project was undertaken in partnership with Ralph Appelbaum Associates who, together, formed the only international team amongst the four final designs. The design sees an elegant spiral, buried in the landscape, reaching up from the exhibitions which are buried in a vast cavern underground. The route corkscrews out the top of the riverside, reaching outwards to give views over the new St. Petersburg.

Images credit to: Brick Visuals

The Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad and its several components form a powerful spatial composition, connecting to the character and history of the city. The Thread of Life, the Memorial of Heroes of Leningrad and the Square of Testimony all sit against the backdrop of a newly created tranquil river side park.

Images credit to: Brick Visuals

The ‘Thread of Life’ refers to the museum and ex...

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects open Easton, a New Home for Local Food and Social Culture in Helsinki

2017-10-26T13:45:00-04:00

Easton Helsinki, a shopping centre by Lahdelma & Mahlamäki in Itäkeskus, Helsinki, opened its doors to the public today. The 66,000m2 development is the first phase in a larger urban plan and looks to celebrate the identity and culture of Helsinki’s eastern districts. The project idealistically and physically centres itself around food, bringing together local vendors and businesses at the heart of the shopping centre; at the same time introducing in a much more varied commercial programme around this. Whilst become a beacon to those on the motorway, the shopping centre takes a much more calm approach when viewed from the street, with its gently undulating façade of ceramic tiles taking on the local red-brick aesthetic and sitting comfortably within the urban scale.

Easton offers 30,000 m2 of commercial floor space which is set to bring 40 businesses into the area, with the emphasis being put on healthy foods and creating an everyday social atmosphere around this. The more varied co...

2017 Rice Design Alliance Spotlight Prize goes to OOPEAA

2017-05-31T14:12:00-04:00

The ninth annual Spotlight Prize has been awarded to the Finnish firm OOPEAA. The award, given by the Rice Design Alliance—a non-profit program connected to Rice's School of Architecture—celebrates the work of emerging architects from the U.S. and abroad. Eligible candidates must be within the first 15 years of professional practice as the prize intends to highlight the work of exceptionally gifted architects at an early stage in their architectural careers. Previous winners have included Sou Fujimoto, Anton Garcia Abril, and LA Dallman among others.

Periscope Tower. Image Courtesy of Rice Design Alliance.

This year's recipient, Anssi Lassila, founded OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture in 2004, and gained international recognition for his Kärsämäki Shingle Church. He is known for combining sculptural forms with traditional materials and innovative techniques, which in Finland, often means working with wood, a material Lassila has extensive knowledge of. He has won numerous aw...

One last chance for the Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-11-07T14:13:00-05:00

Earlier this year, news broke that the Finnish government had vetoed plans for the Guggenheim Helsinki Museum, a controversial satellite of the famed New York institution. Now, a new proposal has been prepared by the City government and the museum’s support foundation, which will be presented to the City for a final vote on the fate of the project.

The Guggenheim Helsinki was first proposed in 2011 but was voted down by the City of Helsinki in 2012. Afterwards, the Guggenheim Foundation prepared a new proposal and helped organize a massive design competition—one of the largest ever. The relatively-unknown studio Moreau Kusunoki Architectes won the competition.

According to estimates, the museum would cost around €130 million. The new plan proposes that the City of Helsinki would finance the majority of the costs, around €80 million, while the Supporting Foundation would put in €15 million. The rest would come from private sources, which already are said to have reached unprecedented l...

Finland has greatly reduced its homeless population — here's how

2016-09-16T19:13:00-04:00

Finland is the only European country where homelessness has decreased in recent years. At the end of 2015 the number of single homeless people was for the first time under 7,000 and this number includes people living temporarily with friends and relatives, who constitute 80% of all homeless people [...] The main explanation for this success is quite simple: when the national programme started housing first was adopted as a mainstream national homelessness policy.

The housing first model is quite simple: when people are homeless, you give them housing first – a stable home, rather than progressing them through several levels of temporary and transitional accommodation.

In related news:

Finnish Government Refuses to Fund Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-09-12T17:00:37-04:00

“This is the end of the matter, we have ruled out state funding (for Guggenheim) once and for all, for this government, we are not opposed to the project as such, we just don’t think it is something that the state should participate in.”

"Champions of the Guggenheim Helsinki don’t plan on giving up. The Guggenheim Foundation said it will continue talks with the government and the city to find other funding options. But without the state’s help, plans for the outpost could now be dead in the water: at an expected cost of $134–$156 million, the museum would, according to Reuters, be too expensive for the city and private financiers to cover alone."

Finnish government pulls funding for the Guggenheim Helsinki

2016-09-08T13:16:00-04:00

The Guggenheim Foundation's Helsinki museum, the design of which was chosen after a hotly anticipated competition last year, is now missing a major financial backer, namely, the government of Finland. Prior to its withdrawal, Finland was going to pick up construction costs and a portion of the operating fees in exchange for top-tier artworks and exhibitions from the Guggenheim.

However, this pull-out isn't entirely unexpected. Before the winning design by Moreau Kusunoki Architectes was even chosen, there were rumblings of dissent: many in Finland felt that the Guggenheim was becoming a bland franchise, to the point that an alternative competition, "The Next Helsinki," was launched to solicit other designs. As Sampo Terho, parliamentary head of the Finns Party, said, “This is the end of the matter, we have ruled out state funding (for Guggenheim) once and for all, for this government.”

Listen to our interview with Moreau Kusunoki Architectes about their winning design for the Guggen...

Finnish University receives grant to explore industrial applications for hemp

2016-04-20T17:32:00-04:00

Turku University of Applied Sciences has received a grant of 70,417 euros to see if hemp could be used more in construction projects. The research will involve investigating the soundproofing and fireproof properties of the substance. Researchers will also look at how hemp decomposes and to see how it could be used as fertilizer - in order to determine how eco-friendly hemp's waste materials are.

The article is careful to note that hemp has far less THC than marijuana and is therefore not a psychoactive substance (obviously) – but the news still feels topical.

Hemp has been used for centuries for ropes, oils and textiles. But marijuana criminalization efforts in the 20th centuries seriously hurt hemp's brand (among other things). Now that marijuana is beginning to become destigmatized, there's been a renewed interest in hemp and its many potential uses.

"Hemp-based concrete is already marketed with names like Hempcrete and Canosmose, and is made up of a mixture of hemp fibres, lime and other materials," the authors note. "The mixture is not as strong as conventional concrete however and is used in conjunction with extra framing support."

Here's some other 4/20-related articles from the archives:

For Alvar Aalto's 118th b-day, a museum extension + a few enduring favorites

2016-02-04T14:10:00-05:00

Fittingly for Furniture February, Alvar Aalto would have turned 118 this month, which has prompted Archinect to celebrate his paradigm-defining designs. We're not the only ones: the existing Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Central Finland will be getting an extension (the winners of the competition can be viewed here: http://www.alvaraalto.fi/ruusupuisto). One of the proposals that didn't win features Aalto-specific materiality ("light color clay bricks in grid pattern for the floors and the circulation elements to the original masonry bricks walls in a way to match the colors but announce the new building with a different texture" according to a press release by the design firm Architensions). Here are renderings of Architensions' proposed museum extension:

And, just because we can, a quick tour through some of Aalto's masterful furniture work:

February is furniture month here on Archinect! Send us your furniture musings, interviews, reviews, designs, projects and investigation...

Best snow + ice architecture, 2016 edition

2016-01-27T14:35:00-05:00

In China each year, the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival features both buildings and sculptures constructed entirely of ice and snow, which are augmented with nighttime illumination. Here are a few highlights from this year's festival:

China doesn't have a lockdown on spectacular ice and snow architecture. The Pyotr Yeropkin-designed 20 meter tall by 50 meter wide Russian Ice Palace, which has been reconstructed every year since 2005 (although the design dates back to 1740) in St. Petersburg, has interior spaces with custom ice furniture:

Quebec's Hotel de Glace offers a functional, if chilly, opportunity to experience ice and snow architecture. Each year, guests can stay inside one of its 44 rooms (some of which come with seemingly oxymoronic amenities, like a fireplace):

Lastly, there is the SnowCastle of Kemi by the Gulf of Bothnia in Finland, which is constructed annually and features an accompanying SnowRestaurant, SnowChapel, and SnowHotel. The SnowCastle's official website ...