Theorist, Humanist and Cosmopolitan – Juhani Pallasmaa Turns 90

With more than a hundred published books and thousands of articles under his belt, Juhani Pallasmaa has challenged the rationalist conception of architecture, turning the gaze towards the human experience and its sensory and embodied dimensions.

“The fact that Juhani Pallasmaa’s name is one of the first that come up when I tell people that I’m from Finland at international architectural conventions is very clear evidence of his significance. His considered, deeply reflective writings, as well as his activity in teaching, reviewing and juries, have challenged and broadened architectural perspectives beyond national borders”, says SAFA President Asko Takala.

The Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) invited Juhani Pallasmaa to become an honorary member in 2009. An honorary membership is granted to distinguished individuals who have shown exceptional advocacy for the objectives of architecture and SAFA and enhanced the international visibility of Finnish architecture.

Among the most widely known publications by Pallasmaa are the now classic of architectural theory The Eyes of the Skin (1996), as well as The Thinking Hand (2009) and The Embodied Image (2011). He has been awarded honorary professorships by universities in seven different countries.

Pallasmaa’s thinking has also extended to the fields of culture, art theory, phenomenology and beyond: in Animal Architecture, he delves into the fascinating constructions created by animals and insects. The idea for the book was conceived through a 1995 exhibition of the same name at the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

Interpreter of International Currents

“Juhani Pallasmaa’s tenure as professor at the Department of Architecture on the Otaniemi campus in the 1990s left an indelible mark on the architectural thinking of my generation. The charismatic Professor Pallasmaa brought a breath of international theory, philosophy and contemporary art to Finnish architectural instruction that was rather pragmatic at the time”, says Kristo Vesikansa, Editor-in-Chief of the Finnish Architectural Review (ARK).

The dozens of articles, essays, reviews and op-eds written by Pallasmaa for ARK have been highly significant for the architectural profession. The first of his writings – a theoretical model for urban structure in the Helsinki region, completed as a student project in detailed planning – was published in the journal in 1965.

Designer, Exhibition Architect, Professor

Throughout his career, Pallasmaa has combined theoretical thinking with practical design work. Among his most significant design projects are the Old Market Hall renovation in Helsinki, the Rovaniemi Art Museum, the Finnish Institute conversion in France (1990, in collaboration with Roland Schweitzer), the Aleksi 15 courtyard refurbishment in the very heart of Helsinki, as well as the Ruoholahti Canal milieu. The award-winning Sámi Museum Siida (1998) was created as a result of eight years of close cooperation with researchers and the Sámi community.

Over the course of his career, Juhani Pallasmaa has served as President of the University of Art and Design Helsinki and as Director of the Museum of Finnish Architecture, in addition to several appointments as a visiting professor and research fellow abroad. As an exhibition designer, he was in charge of the exhibition plan for the Finnish Pavilion at the 1992 Expo ’92 in Seville. He also sat on the jury for the distinguished Pritzker Prize in 2008–2014.