The Cultural Currency Urban Redevelopment: Lessons From Finland’s Oldest City

Architizer is thrilled to announce the world’ finest structure companies in 2024, all winners of the twelfth Annual A+Awards! Wish to get your agency within the operating subsequent season? Keep updated by subscribing to our A+Awards E-newsletter. 

“Once we consider massive cities, we consider quick life, individuals speeding round, no one has time to get to know their neighbors. I don’t suppose we must always see it like that; it hasn’t all the time been like that.”

To grasp Minna Arve’s perspective on city planning, you solely must spend 5 minutes together with her in Turku’s market sq.. The redesign of this historic landmark, the centerpiece of Finland’s oldest metropolis, was accomplished in 2021 — which means that we’re now sipping espresso outdoors the al fresco Cafe Eino on a sunny early summer season morning, and the one factor interrupting our dialog with the elected mayor is the locals saying howdy to her as they cross by our desk.

It’s a small however vital element that reveals lots about how this nook of Scandinavia is rethinking the connection between city and folks. Nowhere is that this extra evident than the riverfront, which is present process the type of monumental transformation normally reserved for Alpha and Beta metropoles, relatively than a metropolis that, albeit rising, remains to be residence to simply 200,000 or so individuals. On the banks of the Aura, although, main works are underway in all instructions.

PES-Architects’ Music Corridor Fuuga is probably the most vital venture presently underway, and expectations are excessive. A couple of minutes away, the older Turku Live performance Corridor continues to function for now, the nation’s first live performance corridor and a shocking instance of mid-century Finnish modernism conceived by nationwide structure hero, Risto-Veikko Luukkonen.

Whereas there was an choice to renovate and regenerate, cautious consideration revealed this might value nearly as a lot cash, and nonetheless depart containers unchecked. Not least accessibility, one thing Arve is evident should be prioritized when awarding new developments to grasp planners.

Public realm outdoors the forthcoming Museum of Historical past and the Future (C) Sigge Architects

Additional up the water, out in direction of the Baltic, there’s presently no signal of one other groundbreaking second within the metropolis’s story which can contribute in direction of a brand new placemaking blueprint for a Cultural Riverfront. However right here, on the ferry terminal, large modifications are about to happen. The port itself can be moved additional out of city, a big new park will exchange the tarmac space used to channel HGVs, coaches and vehicles onto vessels sure for Stockholm twice every day. An abhorrent use of an enviable location, alongside the deliberate inexperienced area can be a brand new cultural vacation spot idea — the Museum of Historical past & the Future.

The relatively obscure title takes some unpicking, however is sensible when you get there. The establishment, as a result of open in 2029, will rejoice the heritage and historical past of Turku, and Finland as a complete. Exhibitions will look to progressive codecs and leading edge expertise to immerse guests, with the constructing itself reflecting this remit. Enter native agency Sigge Architects, who have been awarded the fee based mostly on their distinctive proposal, Squāma.

Location of the brand new Museum of Historical past & the Future, presently a part of Turku’s ferry port (C) Go to Turku

Utilizing a ‘journal’ strategy, the design includes a sequence of low rise, rectangular buildings that are autonomous but interconnected. Constructed from darkish timbers, mirroring conventional development within the area, if all goes to plan the aesthetics ought to praise the splendidly preserved medieval citadel which can solid a shadow over the positioning. We ask what a mayor seems for when casting their vote for a serious architectural competitors to create a brand new civic icon.

“For me, it was necessary to consider not how the museum will look, however the way it will help the general public area round it. How will it help encounters. I’ve been talking quite a bit lately in regards to the metropolis of encounters… how we are able to make public area that helps individuals assembly one another,” Arvo replies. “This was necessary with the brand new music corridor, too. How will we create the constructing but in addition the general public area round it. It comes down to creating these investments accessible to individuals. You might want to promise this, but in addition ship the concept that that is for everybody to make use of.”

Road furnishings within the redeveloped Turku Market Sq. (C) Sarc + Sigge

Arvo talks in regards to the programming of one thing like a live performance corridor, the necessity to variety in a bid to enhance inclusion. However she’s speaking about far more than that. At a time when urbanization and immigration are placing stress on public companies and infrastructure in Finland, Turku rating within the nation’s quickest rising areas, the voters should be satisfied that spending lots of of thousands and thousands on cultural improvement is of their curiosity. Exclusivity shouldn’t apply.

“[At the Music Hall] you gained’t even must go and take heed to music, simply calm down, benefit from the environment, go to the roof terrace. We’d like locations that help these sorts of encounters. So in that sense, extra necessary than the constructing is how it’s reached by individuals,” Arvo continues, earlier than revealing structure is an enormous ardour of hers, and a perception within the energy of nice constructing design. “A skilful architect can work miracles.”

Architizer is thrilled to announce the world’ finest structure companies in 2024, all winners of the twelfth Annual A+Awards! Wish to get your agency within the operating subsequent season? Keep updated by subscribing to our A+Awards E-newsletter.