New Standards: Finland at the Venice Architecture Biennale
The 17th International Architecture Biennale opened in Giardini, Venice, on May 22nd. The Finnish pavilion features an exhibition entitled, The New Standards, curated by Laura Berger, Philip Tidwell and Kristo Vesikansa.
Puutalo Oy: A Retrospective
The exhibition showcases the works of Puutalo Oy (Timber Houses Ltd.), an industrial enterprise that grew during post-war reconstruction period. Initially responding to the housing needs of Finnish people, Puutalo Oy expanded its operations to cover the whole of Europe, and later to all inhabited continents.
Through its various projects around the world, Puutalo Oy came to exemplify Finnish material and building know-how. The exhibition presents the story of Puutalo Oy through the buildings the company manufactured across the globe.
Aalto’s idea was to make the wooden pavilion a temporary structure that could be dismantled, stored and reassembled every two years.
Alvar Aalto Pavilion
The Finnish exhibition is housed in a pavilion which was originally built for Venice’s Giardini in 1956 and designed by Alvar Aalto. Aalto’s idea was to make the wooden pavilion a temporary structure that could be dismantled, stored and reassembled every two years. However, the small pavilion remained in place and is now a protected cultural heritage site.
Nikari is a partner in the Biennale’s New Standards exhibition — this year’s exhibition architecture is furnished with a group of Arkitecture tables and Storia stools. Due to the current world situation, the contents of the exhibition can also be viewed in digital form at www.newstandards.info.
