New Standards
The exhibition at Finland's Aalto Pavilion looks into the history and legacy of Puutalo Oy (Timber Houses Ltd.), a Finnish industrial enterprise established in 1940 for producing and promoting prefabricated timber buildings. The exhibition website newstandards.info presents a possibility to examine the themes and contribute to the Puutalo story. On the day of the Pavilion opening, New Standards will be revealed online as well.
In the inauguration event held in May 20th we heard an engaging discussion, for which the United States Pavilion and the Nordic Pavilion joined us in an exploration of the different conditions of standardisation and customisation that arise through the use of timber as a structural material. The discussion was led by curators and exhibitors from the three pavilions and chaired by the Director of Open House worldwide, Phineas Harper. A record of the online inauguration is visible at newstandards.info.
Event Calendar
Thursday 23rd September
12:30 – Guided tour in English
14:30 – Guided tour in Italian
16:00 – Book launch at the Pavilion
Friday 24th September
12:30 – Guided tour in English
14:30 – Guided tour in Italian
15:00 – Aalto document screening at Cinema Astra, Lido
Book Launch
On Thursday 23 September at 4 pm New Standards launches the same name book at the Pavilion of Finland. Curators Laura Berger and Kristo Vesikansa will be presenting the publication and sharing their thoughts on their research process.
Guided tours
Guests will be offered guided tours of the exhibition twice a day, in both English and Italian language. The length of the guidance is approximately 15 minutes and there is a limit of 8 simultaneous visitors in the pavilion.
Aalto document screening
On Friday 24 September at 3 pm, Archinfo Finland presents a screening of the acclaimed documentary film Aalto (2020) by director Virpi Suutari, who will be present at the event to introduce the film.
Aalto is a documentary film journey into the life and work of one of the greatest modern architects, Alvar Aalto. The film shares for the first time the intimate love story of Alvar and his architect wife, Aino Aalto. It takes the viewer on a cinematic tour to their creative processes and iconic buildings all over the world.
The screening is free of charge and takes place at Cinema Astra on the island of Lido. There are 100 seats that will be filled in order of arrival from 2.45 pm onwards.
Standardization in building is frequently deplored as monotonous and boring, but it persists as a recurring dream for architects who seek to harness the power of industrial production to address challenges of urbanization.
This exhibition examines the conditions affecting standardized, industrialized and manufactured building by re-visiting a forgotten chapter of wood construction in post-war Finland. The story centers on the industrial enterprise Puutalo Oy [Timber Houses Ltd.], which was established in 1940 as part of the national response to a refugee crisis brought about by war. In less than a decade, the company became one of the largest manufacturers of prefabricated wooden buildings in the world.
Situated at the intersection of architecture and industrial design, these structures use a limited range of standard components to achieve thousands of variations, suited to different functional, climatic and cultural conditions. Today, after almost 80 years, these modest houses have shaped the experiences of thousands of inhabitants and reconfigured urban landscapes around the world.
Laura Berger is a post-doctoral researcher at Aalto University, Department of Architecture, from where she received her doctoral degree in 2018, awarded with distinction. Berger’s previous degrees are from the University of Cambridge and University College London. Her research has focused on Alvar Aalto, the organisation of post-war reconstruction in Finland, and development of suburban areas. She has been an ASLA-Fulbright visiting scholar at Columbia University, New York, and a visiting scholar at Roma Tre in Rome and Sorbonne, Paris, among others.
Philip Tidwell is an architect and educator with a particular focus on wood design and construction. His research, teaching and practice consider the ways that matter, climate and technique influence architectural form. Tidwell’s teaching and research have been supported by grants and fellowships from numerous organisations including the Sasakawa Foundation and US Fulbright Foundation.
Kristo Vesikansa is an architect and the Editor-in-Chief of the Finnish Architectural Review. His professional experience consists of restoration projects, teaching and research. Previously Vesikansa worked as a lecturer in history of architecture at Aalto University. As a scholar, he has focused on post Second World War architecture, in particular the works of Raili and Reima Pietilä. Throughout his career, Vesikansa has also focused on the relationship between historical and contemporary architecture.
Juuso Westerlund is a Finnish documentarist and photographer. Westerlund has held numerous exhibitions in Europe, and his work has been featured in various magazines. He has been awarded both domestically and internationally. In his art projects, for the past ten years, Westerlund has concentrated mainly on photographing domestic life and documenting the national characteristics of the Finnish way of life in all of its absurdities, from Karaoke to Sauna.
Director
Katarina Siltavuori
Project Manager
Sini Parikka
Head of Communications
Miina Jutila
Project Coordinator
Francesco Raccanelli
Project Assistants
Lena Kingelin
Laura Koskela
Taavi Lindfors
Karolina Toivettula
Exhibition Design
Philip Tidwell
Graphic Design
Päivi Häikiö / Studio Päivi Häikiö
Website
Ville Niemi / Viiksimaisteri
Media contacts
Ben James / ING Media
Mariana Yuste / ING Media
Miina Jutila / Archinfo Finland
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