Arkkitehti - Finnish Architectural Review

People — 16.2.2026

What kind of museum do you want to be part of creating, Carson Chan?

The new Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Architecture and Design sees museums as highly visible public institutions that can inspire new, responsible ways of engaging with the world.

Pros and Cons — 12.2.2026

architectural competitions

Is an open architectural competition the best way to commission creative ideas?

Open competitions have been a central part of Finnish architectural culture for 150 years. But are they the most effective way to utilise the expertise of architects? And how could the system be improved? Two architects with success in competitions share their views.

Phenomena — 2.1.2026

Museum of Architecture and Design

Pilvi Kalhama: “Today’s construction culture is too cautious”

Finland spends too much time calculating risks, says Pilvi Kalhama, director of the Museum of Architecture and Design. This may also be the reason why no major Finnish companies have emerged in the creative industries in recent decades, Kalhama says in an interview with Daniele Belleri.

Phenomena — 17.12.2025

geopolitics

Panu Savolainen: In Finland, architecture has been considered more apolitical than it actually is

Can geology and geopolitics together tell us something about the future of architecture in Finland? The climate crisis has forced us to rethink supposedly timeless elements of the Earth – air, oceans, and ancient sediments as not immutable or insulated from human impact, contrary to extractivist belief.

Phenomena — 9.12.2025

geopolitics

Finland’s geopolitical position has changed, and it also affects architecture

Finland has joined NATO and relations with Russia have frozen, but the effects of the country's changing geopolitical position on the field of architecture have hardly been discussed. Daniele Belleri, who led the curatorial team for this year's Venice Architecture Biennale, now addresses the topic in his online article series.

A comprehensive book on the principles of AI

The AI revolution can be of great benefit to architects if the profession navigates this change carefully, argues Phil Bernstein, Deputy Dean at the Yale School of Architecture and a former vice-president at Autodesk.

Exhibition — 10.12.2025

venice

For Rem Koolhaas, a diagram is a tool for bringing “an aura of objectivity to the inherently subjective nature of design”

The Diagrams exhibition in Venice highlighted the importance of diagrams and information visualization in architectural design – and especially in architectural communication.

Research — 10.12.2025

history

Photorealism reveals assumptions and values rooted in architectural culture

Photorealistic perspective images are often disparaged as illustrations and marketing detached from the actual design, even though in reality photorealism is deeply intertwined with architects’ thinking.

Phenomena — 4.12.2025

trends

New Historicism and the Value of Novelty

In recent years, a new type of relationship with history and the use of historical references has emerged in Finnish architecture. Is this merely another way to achieve a new kind of architectural expression, or does it reflect a deeper change?

Dialogue — 4.12.2025

construction industry

How to Stop Building?

French architect Charlotte Malterre-Barthes was catapulted into architectural celebrity four years ago when she published her call for a global moratorium on new construction. Architect Matti Jänkälä interviewed Professor of Real Estate Economics Seppo Junnila on how this manifesto, which has now been expanded into a book, might translate into practice.

Book — 4.12.2025

berlin

Young Architectural Rebels Renewed the Housing Architecture of West Berlin

New generation of architects in Berlin has rediscovered an architect couple Inken and Hindrich Baller who deviated from the mainstream of their time.

Column — 3.12.2025

building design

Good Content Doesn’t Justify A Clumsy Appearance

Architecture is a form of visual communication, where there is no place for “pizzahutism”.

Phenomena — 3.12.2025

young architects

The New Wave

What kinds of projects and ideas are taking shape on the desks of young architects? Eight architects, teams, or architecture offices present a project that reflects their approach to the built environment.

Project Review — 3.12.2025

With Lieto Church, Architects Were Given a Task Not Undertaken in Finland for a Century

The renewed and extended medieval stone church of Lieto tests the most unshakable foundations of architectural heritage thinking, writes Panu Savolainen.

Opinion Piece — 28.11.2025

education

The Future Won’t Need Architects as We Know Them Today

Architect education needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, if the profession wishes to be a player in designing a sustainable future.

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Phenomena — 3.12.2025

education

The New Wave

What kinds of projects and ideas are taking shape on the desks of young architects? Eight architects, teams, or architecture offices present a project that reflects their approach to the built environment.

1 – 2026
Housing Variations

Are there alternatives to today’s housing production? How do different forms of ownership affect residential architecture? How to design residential buildings to be flexible throughout their lifespan?