Aalto Art and Design Cases

Exhibition: Sensory Pavilions 2017–2018

The basic studies in the Department of Architecture explore the most common building materials through various assignments. Academic chair of Building Technologies introduced students to concrete and its structural features in Basic course one during springs 2017 and 2018.

The assignment for the first year course at Aalto University’s Department of Architecture was to build a Sensory Pavilion – a small concrete structure, made as a group work. The task was short and intense, with both architecture students and landscape architecture students involved.

The site, an outdoor exhibition area, was situated at Vanhankaupunginlahti in Helsinki. The area consisted of individually built concrete pavilions of about 30 square meters in size, placed on the site upon individual choice of each group. The theme of the pavilions had to embody characteristic element of the scene or a natural element, such as a view, sound, water, daylight rotation or vegetation. All pavilions had to be covered, and their surrounding environment had to be studied. The pavilions were designed and executed in concrete in groups of 4 to 5 people on a scale of 1:10.

The course also included a traditional excursion. It introduced both contemporary architecture and Finnish modernism to the students. As a part of excursion, the course visited Parma Concrete Factory in Kangasala. Finnsementti donated cement and various aggregates to the course. The lectures were held by Professors of Building Technologies, Architects Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola and Mikko Summanen. The course was taught by architects Osma Lindroos, Mikko Liski and Paul Thynell. A visiting instructor and concrete expert was DI Seppo Petrow. The exam book for the course is Concrete, Basic Information for an Architect Student edited by University Teacher Päivi Väisänen.

The exhibition is part of Helsinki Design Week programme.

Welcome to the exhibition opening 21.8 at 6–8 pm!

Date: 22.8–15.9.2018

Venue: Harald Herlin Learning Centre, Otaniementie 9 Espoo

More information:

Exhibition at the Harald Herlin Learning Centre

HDW programme
Sensory Pavilion. Photo: Anne Kinnunen/Aalto University
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