Phenomena symposium: Juhani Pallasmaa's philosophy lives on and has a lasting impact on architecture
Juhani Pallasmaa has influenced the international architectural discourse perhaps more than we even realize. He is particularly known for his writings and lectures on the experiential nature of architecture, the senses, and the human relationship with the built environment. His book The Eyes of the Skin (1996) has achieved classic status in architecture education around the world.
The symposium, held on September 25 at Aalto University, examined how Pallasmaa’s ideas live on in today’s architecture. At the same time, the event celebrated Pallasmaa’s 90th birthday and his wide-ranging, interdisciplinary influence. A group of internationally renowned architects and researchers took the stage, many of whom also have long-standing personal connections to Pallasmaa.
Architecture opens up new ways of seeing the world
Jenni Reuter, head of the Department of Architecture at Aalto University, opened the event with a speech in which she described the significance of Pallasmaa to her own identity as an architect.
“Juhani is probably the reason I became an architect. From the very beginning, he introduced us students not only to architecture but also to a wide range of topics beyond it. He opened our minds and senses, and showed us what architecture can be.”
Peter MacKeith, an architect and professor of architecture at the University of Arkansas, took the audience on a journey from Pallasmaa’s birth year in 1936 to the present day and reflected on how the world and ways of thinking have changed over the course of Pallasmaa’s long career. He highlighted Pallasmaa’s idea of the architect as an interpreter mediating between people and the world.
“Juhani has helped me and many others understand that there are countless ways in which we can influence the world.”
In Pallasmaa’s thinking, architecture is not merely the design of buildings, but also a way of examining the relationship between people and their environment – and the world. At the same time, it offers an opportunity to ask what kind of world the built environment enables for us.
In their presentation, Spanish architects Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano explored the relationship between architecture and “memory of a place”. Their work emphasizes the idea that a building does not exist in isolation from its surroundings but is always connected to the history and layers of a place. Nieto and Sobejano have designed numerous cultural buildings around the world and have also been awarded the Alvar Aalto Medal.
The 2020 Pritzker Prize laureates, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, highlighted through their own work Pallasmaa’s criticism that architects have failed to take into account atmosphere, sensory experiences, and emotions, and in failing to create public spaces that would attract people to gather.
In Pallasmaa’s thinking, the starting point for an architect’s work is that when designing a building, they are simultaneously creating a part of the city.
A philosophy that stands time
Pallasmaa’s former students and colleagues also spoke at the seminar about his significance as an architecture teacher.
Anders Adlercreutz, Minister of Education in Finland, architect, and a former student of Pallasmaa, recounted from his student days that Pallasmaa revolutionized the way architecture was taught: students were not merely taught to draw up plans, but to understand what the work is all about – and why and for whom it is done.
In many of the day’s presentations, Pallasmaa’s significance was seen in his approach to viewing architecture from a broader perspective and drawing on philosophy, art, science, literature, mathematics, and many other fields.
A recurring theme in the day’s presentations was the idea that many of the questions Pallasmaa raised decades ago are now more relevant than ever.
The speakers also shared the view that the strength of Pallasmaa’s philosophy lies in its breadth and enduring relevance. He did not draw a sharp distinction between humans and nature, but rather viewed humans as part of a broader environment.
At the conclusion of the seminar, Juhani Pallasmaa also took the stage to thank his friends –the full audience – for the unexpected and, for him personally, deeply moving event.
“My life is exceptionally rich thanks to my friends”, he remarked.
At the same time, he offered the students a piece of advice that encapsulates something essential about his own way of thinking:
“I urge all students to cultivate a broad and open-minded circle of friends.”
Phenomena: Celebrating the Influence and Legacy of Juhani Pallasmaa symposium was held at Aalto University in Otaniemi on Friday, September 25, 2026.
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