"Sisu" is a Finnish word, describing a trait with no precise English translation, but conveyed through the following qualities: stoic determination, bravery, guts, resilience, perseverance and hardiness. It is a quality strongly associated with Finnish identity, from a history of being bullied geopolitically by neighbors Russia and Sweden, and the paralyzingly cold, dark winters. According to its robust English-language Wikipedia entry, "Sisu is about taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity. Deciding on a course of action and then sticking to that decision against repeated failures is Sisu. It is similar to equanimity, with the addition of a grim quality of stress management."

I first came across "sisu" in the Glossary on Free Cooper Union's website, a compendium resource of the protest movement against the school's decision to begin charging tuition. The "sisu" entry is accompanied by a definition adapted from Wikipedia, and while it clearly serves as a rallying term, its precise originating context in the protest movement isn't explained.

It seemed logical to visit the term now, after the winner of the Guggenheim Helsinki competition was announced, and to consider its conceptual relationship to architectural competitions in general. Certainly, sisu evokes the struggle that many lower-profile firms shoulder in the pursuit of a lofty competition's prize, devoting countless unpaid hours to a concept with no guarantee of realization or even acknowledgement of its existence. It could just as easily apply to a rejection of such high-profile competition's conventions entirely, and charting an alternate course of professional practice that marches to its own beat.

As far as I can tell, only one submission to the Guggenheim Helsinki competition invoked "sisu" in its design – and apparently that wasn't enough of a cultural appeal to be marked a finalist. But just because the winner has been crowned, the Guggenheim isn't guaranteed to be built in Helsinki. Concerns over a $417M price tag, the use of public funds, and whether the design can pull in cost-balancing tourism, are ongoing. No doubt the winners, Moreau Kusunoki, will benefit from some sisu as the journey continues.