A dress that combines modular design and seaweed research was seen at the Independence Day Reception
Landscape architect Anni Järvitalo wanted to apply a similar approach to her outfit for the reception as Nomaji does in their design projects and landscape architecture.
The goal is to bring together art and science and to merge different design fields. Järvitalo contacted designer Sofia Ilmonen and Professor Julia Lohmann, who immediately took up the challenge, supported by the BioColour research consortium. Together, they created a vision for an outfit in a few weeks that combines natural dyeing, seaweed research, and innovative sustainable modular design.
Järvitalo is a founding partner of the design office Nomaj, where this is a typical way of working. Urban and landscape design projects are often extensive and long-term, and their results are not as concretely and quickly visible as, for example, in costume design.
"It felt like an important opportunity to concretely communicate through the outfit how new solutions can be achieved when art, design, and research are brought together in the same project," Järvitalo describes.
The environmental challenges of our time are diverse, and the Baltic Sea is one concrete example of how the deterioration of ecosystems is visible. The Baltic Sea, along with other ecosystems, suffers from all old ways of thinking and acting, either directly or indirectly.
The Baltic Sea is a relatively small marine area and therefore sensitive. It is one of the most polluted marine areas in the world. Many factors affect the condition of the Baltic Sea, such as land use in its various forms. The water quality of inland waters, such as lakes and rivers, also affects the Baltic Sea, where the water eventually flows.
Landscape architects specialize in looking at things holistically, and in design, they aim to find solutions, for example, to improve the quality of urban stormwater and develop shorelines. Additionally, the Baltic Sea is also a personally close subject for Järvitalo. "The Baltic Sea has always been dear to me, and I am very concerned about its condition."
There are ways to improve the situation of the Baltic Sea, but we need the will to move them forward. For example, by improving the recreational use and ecological state of the shores, we can impact both the ecological state of the waters and recreational use.
At Nomaji, it is believed that when people have the opportunity to create a relationship and become attached to different natural sites and landscapes, they also want to take better care of them.
Nomaji Landscape Architects were awarded the 2023 State Prize for Architecture. The award was given for their distinguished and pioneering work in high-quality landscape architecture, regenerative design and holistic sustainability.
With the State Prize and the Independence Day reception, Nomaji wants to convey that we need a bold approach to all design, where resources can be seen in a new way. This applies to landscape architecture as well as architecture and design and all creative and artistic fields.
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