Thoughts on the meaning of the Wood Architecture Park

For the city and for construction culture

Riitta Niskanen, D. Phil., researcher of construction culture

In the early days of the City of Lahti, bold city fathers invested strongly and systematically in a high-quality environment. The most renowned architects of the time were invited to make designs for the city, and the resulting buildings were handsome and durable. By the city’s tenth anniversary, investments had been made in several schools, a hospital that was among the largest and most modern in the country, up-to-date electricity, water and sewage systems, and a City Hall, all of which are part of basic services, but also serve as examples of high-class architecture.

About then, Professor, Architect Armas Lindgren, who also left a significant imprint in the Lahti cityscape, stated: “Yet I will make so bold as to say that right now, precisely when construction is costly, when the difficulties of the construction industry seem difficult to surmount, when the future appears hopeless for the activity of builders – I will say that now is precisely the time to speak of the artistic requirements of construction, of the beauty of buildings and homes.”

In the post-war reconstruction period, 20 public works of art were acquired in Lahti, by either private or city funding. The proportionate number of new parks was larger than in any other Finnish town or city. City planners dreamed of and drafted a new, beautiful, equitable city. The city manager wanted Lahti to have arts institutions, outdoor sculptures and sports facilities. They were also acquired despite stringent economy. These years are now called the Golden Age of Lahti.

When was the most recent public work of art bought in Lahti? By this I mean a work that represents contemporary visual art and reflects our own time, instead of war memorials, though of course valuable and important in themselves.

The wooden light installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, about to be constructed beside the Sibelius Hall, is the first time in more than half a decade that the City of Lahti invests in public art. For this reason alone, its topping-out in mid-June is a notable occasion. The Wood Architecture Park project, supported by the Wood in Culture Association, so far includes not only the light installation, but also the Piano Pavilion designed by Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh and the two environmental works of art by Australian architect Richard Leplastrier. The Wood Architecture Park will consist of works by the recipients of the International Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award.

The residents of Lahti will have access to original international art which gives interesting interpretations of our cultural and natural environment and is entwined with wood, the core of Finnishness.

This provides a natural content for city strategies. This will make bureaucratic visions come to life. But do we really want these beautiful nothings? Do we need them, since it would be cheaper to go without?

Oh yes, we do need them. And we have earned them, in every meaning of the word.”

(Riitta Niskanen: Hurskas kurjuus ja kaunis turhuus [Pious Poverty and Beautiful Nothings]. WiC 2006)

For building with wood

Vesa Ijäs, Architect:

The works in the Wood Architecture Park are examples of experimental construction, in which the construction methods differ from traditional building with wood, which is done on site. The works were modelled with 3D design software, which enabled testing the feasibility of the designs. The segments or components could be manufactured industrially, and only the assembly took place on site.