MFA Friday Clip: Finnish Architecture – Review 2020: Käpylän Posteljooni Housing Block

Описание: MFA Friday Clip series presents videos of the latest biennial review projects. This week's theme: Käpylän Posteljooni Housing Block by Anttinen Oiva Architects

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KÄPYLÄN POSTELJOONI HOUSING BLOCK Helsinki, Finland, 2017
Anttinen Oiva Architects

The Käpylän Posteljooni housing block is located in a nationally significant built cultural envi- ronment. The infill development project has been successfully fitted to the demanding location. It responds to the challenges regarding the intensification of land use in a way that unifies the cityscape. The building forms a harmonious end for Pohjolanaukio Square. The rhythm of the sloping roofs conforms to the varied elevations in the area, and the building sits naturally in the topography and the surrounding buildings. Thanks to its winding character, the large building looks lighter in scale.

The wall-like street frontages and the systematic zigzag window openings interpret, in a charming way, the architecture in the 1950s neighbourhood. However, it must be stated that the slightly artificial rhythm of the fenestration becomes a straitjacket for a residential building in terms of spatial design.

The flats, especially on the highest floors, are insightful. Still, the arrangement of the rooms and the access of natural light suffer, in places, behind the rhythm of the windows in the street frontages. As a counterbalance, the flats open up to the balconies and the courtyard. The vertical ceramic stave facade elements, together with the thin metal balusters, form a lattice that varies in accordance with the light and shade. Thanks to the wooden surfaces, the atmosphere on the balconies is similar to that of the porches of wooden buildings. The light facade surfaces on the side of the courtyard provide a contrast for the street frontages. The yellowish brick surface of the courtyard, together with the warm-coloured ground floor form a unified ground plane for the building in which the materials and shades of colour are in harmony with the built environment.

Text: Kirsi Korhonen / Jury 2020

Video: Jonni Roos, Raimo Uunila
Camera: Raimo Uunila, Atte Henriksson
Editing: Raimo Uunila, Camilla Siren
Editor: Jonni Roos
Production: Uuden Avaaja, Grape Prodictions
Subtitles: Museum of Finnish Architecture
Translation: Translatinki Oy

The Finnish Architecture. Biennial Review 2020 exhibition is open until February 28, 2021 in Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki.