The competition is one of several events organized by the digital platform Star for Talents in major European capitals. This time, the challenge was to design a House of Design for Helsinki, the youngest of the Scandinavian capitals.
Participants were asked to take into account the neoclassical tradition of the existing buildings and the contrast with contemporary works, such as the Oodi Library or the Kamppi Chapel by the Finnish firm K2S Architects.
The proposal was to create a space that would promote Finland’s unique artisan culture and serve as a meeting place for artisans and artists. It would also include spaces such as workshops, exhibition halls, and artist residencies.
The architects designed a building that respects and engages with its immediate surroundings, while also seeking to promote public space as a gathering place for citizens. In the text accompanying the project, they put it this way:
The project aims to create a basement and a tower, proposing two distinct design strategies: the first involves establishing a continuous dialogue with the surrounding environment through architectural contrast; secondly, it enhances the public space by creating an elevated plaza and a courtyard. The horseshoe-shaped base adapts to the topography with its varying levels, seeking to provide continuity with the city. The courtyard located on the lower level is designed as a refuge for visitors. The space is organized into different programmatic levels, encouraging interaction among users through a fluid and continuous path. The basement building features a distinctive translucent white cladding that contrasts with the tones of the surrounding buildings.
Rojas, Mazzotti, and Coitinho are part of the University Teaching Practicum Program—which is organized within the School of Architecture—and assist in teaching the Project 7 course, led by instructors Architect Javier Olascoaga, Dr. Architect Pablo Frontini, and Architect Bruno Pedreira. During the course, they learned about the London Call competition and decided to submit their design to the Helsinki Call.