Tapiola Church refurbishment shortlisted for Finlandia Prize for Architecture

This year’s winner, presented by the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), will be chosen by foreign correspondent Antti Kuronen on the 7th of October.

One of Finland’s highest-profile war correspondents, Antti Kuronen is perhaps best known for his reporting on the Middle East crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

– In the course of my work reporting from conflict zones around the world, I’ve often found my mind turning to architecture. Which are the buildings that people care about? In a rural village, say, what is the most prominent building, the school or the place of worship?  Do the rural areas and big cities look like they’re from different planets?

– One of the great things about Finland is that we invest in our public buildings across the length and breadth of the country, not just in the big cities. Equality is still a value that defines Finland and Finnish architecture. No one gets left behind, Antti Kuronen says.

The Finlandia Prize for Architecture shortlist is chosen by a pre-selection jury appointed each year by SAFA. 

– For members of the pre-selection jury, the lengthy and passionate debates and site visits we enjoyed as part of the deliberation process were an opportunity to get back to the very fundamentals of architecture. We discussed natural light and shadow, spatial transitions, material sensitivities and scale. When it came to drawing up the shortlist, we considered what the projects had to say about the present moment and their ability to withstand both time and wear and tear, said Professor Jenni Reuter, Chair of the Pre-Selection Jury.

Jenni Reuter was joined on the pre-selection jury by architects Harri Hautajärvi and Kirsi Korhonen and Professor Matti Sanaksenaho. The secretariat was provided by Paula Huotelin.

Tapiola Church refurbishment – preserving Ruusuvuori’s original architecture

Tapiola Church, designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori in 1965, is the landmark building in the garden neighbourhood after which it takes its name. Prior to the refurbishment, Tapiola Church suffered from damp and was in sore need of improved ventilation. The refurbishment project, completed in 2021, delivered an altogether safer, healthier and more functional building.

The approach here, in line with current practice, has been to carry out the architectural interventions as unobtrusively as possible. In the key spaces, solutions have been found for plumbing, ventilation and other building technology that are entirely hidden. The refurbishment, the pre-selection jury said, has succeeded in preserving the building’s patina and leaving the visitor with a sense that nothing has really changed. 

The Tapiola Church refurbishment is by Jari Frondelius (lead designer), Jaakko Keppo, Juha Salmenperä and Riitta Tuomisto (project architect) at AFKS Arkkitehdit. In 2023, AFKS Arkkitehdit won the Finlandia Prize for Architecture for their work on the Martta Wendelin Day Care Centre.

About the Finlandia Prize for Architecture 

The Finlandia Prize for Architecture is awarded for the design or renovation design of an outstanding new building or building complex that has been completed within the past three years. The prize may be awarded either to a Finnish or foreign architect, or to an architectural firm for a project designed for a location in Finland; or to a Finnish architect or architectural firm for a project designed for a location abroad. 

The purpose of the prize is to promote the appreciation of high-quality architecture and to highlight the importance of architecture in generating cultural value and increasing well-being.

A pre-selection jury, appointed by the SAFA Board, is in charge of selecting the shortlist. The winner is chosen from among the shortlisted candidates by a selector appointed each year to the role.

This is the 11th year the Finlandia Prize for Architecture will be presented by the Finnish Association of Architects. 

The Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) is a non-profit professional organization engaged in active efforts to promote architecture and high-quality living environments. Established in 1892, SAFA has approximately 3,100 members, all of whom are architects with a university degree. Additionally, SAFA has around 600 student members.