First Finlandia Prize Winner Announced

The Prize, created at the end of 2011 by the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), seeks to "promote the appreciation of high-quality architecture, and to highlight the importance of architecture in producing cultural value and increasing well-­being," per a statement from SAFA. The Prize considers buildings completed within the previous three years, though it is not limited to Finnish architects or buildings within Finland, as the inaugural winner, a museum designed by Finnish architects but located in Warsaw, makes clear.

Sixten Korkman, Professor of Practice in Economics at Aalto University, was the sole judge in selecting the first Finlandia Prize for Architecture. He stated: "The fruitful main idea of the building is the tension between the restrained exterior and the dramatic form of the entrance hall. The mood of the building is solemn and dignified, but at the same time warm and optimistic. We are dealing with more than just a museum: this building is a powerful and significant work of art that will change the look of Warsaw as a whole."

When SAFA announced in October 2014 that Professor Korman would be the prize's sole judge, they said they wanted "an influential figure who is known as an expert in a field other than architecture. The selection seeks to emphasize the fact that high-quality architecture is, at its best, an experience that resonates with all its users. Everyone can be an architecture expert."

Korkman described his criteria as consisting of three points: "What is the relationship between the formal idiom of the building and its use? How well does the design combine aesthetics and function? How does the building 'sit' in its environment?" In relation to these points, he described the winner: "The form and facade of the building fit in with the adjacent Monument to the Ghetto Heroes. The large entrance hall, which divides and structures the building, forms its heart. Its high, curvilinear or undulating, and slightly unpolished walls baffle visitors and raise questions about the message of the space. Many metaphors have been suggested in the interpretations of the entrance hall, which is an indication of its successful design."

The Prize winner was selected by Korkman from a shortlist of four buildings created by a jury made up of Jorma Mukala, editor-in-chief of the Finnish Architectural Review; Juulia Kauste, director of the Museum of Finnish Architecture;  Esa Ruskeepää, architect; and Pentti Kareoja, Professor of Spatial Design at Aalto University. The other shorlisted candidates were Gösta's Pavilion in Mänttä (studio MX_SI with Huttunen-Lipasti-Pakkanen Architects), Kaisa House in Helsinki (Anttinen Oiva Architects), and the extension of the Seinäjoki Public Library and Provincial Library, Apila (JKMM Architects).