News

Alusta pavilion moved to the Aalto Campus

The giant insect hotel, Alusta pavilion, has permanently moved to Aalto University’s campus in Otaniemi. Its goal is to reconnect humans and nature, and to tackle the loss of biodiversity.
Alusta pavilion. Photo: Elina Koivisto
Photo: Elina Koivisto

Built of clay and ecological materials, the pavilion creates a non-toxic and easily recyclable environment for the pollinators, plants, birds and other species. Between 2022 and 2024, the pavilion was located in the event courtyard between the Museum of Architecture and the Design Museum in Helsinki, attracting both pollinators and people to enjoy and spend time there.

The pavilion creators, architects Elina Koivisto and Maiju Suomi suggest that promoting biodiversity through land use and urban planning can enhance well-being and help mitigate climate change effects.

Alusta pavilion is a place for encounters between humans and non-human animals in urban space. It is shaped in collaboration with plants, human visitors, natural processes, and the passing of time. 

The aim of the project, carried out in collaboration with ecology researchers at the University of Helsinki, is to increase biodiversity in the urban environment. The project highlights the essential importance of soil and its organisms for the well-being of the ecosystem.

The Alusta pavilion was opened on campus 14 August.

Location: Alusta pavilion, in front of Otakaari 1X, Espoo

A human-friendly, giant insect hotel emerged in the middle of the city

Alusta, built from clay and populated by plants, is a sanctuary for pollinators and a meeting place for all living things

Read more
Tiiliseinä, jonka vieressä vaaleanpunaisia kukkia, taustalle korkeita, vanhoja taloja.
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Smiling people in an auditorium audience, the person being celebrated holding a bouquet of flowers.
Research & Art Published:

Phenomena symposium: Juhani Pallasmaa's philosophy lives on and has a lasting impact on architecture

A symposium celebrating architect Juhani Pallasmaa’s 90th birthday brought together internationally renowned architects at Aalto University to discuss his influence and legacy on contemporary architecture.
Portrait of a woman with long red hair in a black top, standing sideways against a muted green background.
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

Camilla Naukkarinen is the Young Designer of the Year

Camilla Naukkarinen, who graduated from Aalto University, has won the Young Designer of the Year 2026 competition. The winning entry consisted of hand-woven flowers made from hair fibers and metal wire.
Man adjusting antenna in blue anechoic chamber with spiked walls under bright overhead light
Research & Art Published:

Aalto University improves its position in the prestigious THE World University Rankings

Aalto has risen 12 places from last year and is now ranked 183rd.
Kemistintie 1 (pienempi). Kuva/Image: Aalto-yliopisto / Mikko Raskinen / Aalto University
Research & Art Published:

New professors join the School of Chemical Engineering

Meet the new professors at the School of Chemical Engineering, whose expertise spans research areas including sustainable microelectronics, pyrometallurgy, biomass refining, and advanced materials.