About the Award

A new international architectural award - the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award - was established in Finland in 1999. The Award is granted for architectural excellence to a person or group of persons whose work exemplifies a progressive and creative use of timber. The founder of the international Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award, the Wood in Culture Association, was set up to promote and foster a cultural tradition which breathes the presence of nature. It is the wish of the Association that the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award will promote and foster enduring values connected with this tradition.  

In planning the Award, the Wood in Culture Association has consulted the representatives of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), the Building Information Institute, the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Alvar Aalto Foundation and the Alvar Aalto Medal Commission.  

It is characteristic of modern construction that architects are particularly interested in traditional materials, such as timber. The Association wishes to use the new Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award to support and internationally highlight a form of architecture in which timber has the central position. The organiser hopes that the Award will both increase the respect for timber buildings and building components, and improve their quality.  

The Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award will be granted every second year. The first recipient of the Award was architect Renzo Piano (b. 1937) from Italy. The Award ceremony was held on 7 September 2000, in a building which may be described as the flagship of Finnish timber construction in the new millennium - the new Sibelius Hall congress and concert centre in the City of Lahti.  

The first Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award Jury consisted of three Finnish architects and two architects from other countries. Rainer Mahlamäki was the chairman of the Jury and the other members were Gunnel Adlercreutz, Unto Siikanen, Glenn Murcutt (Australia) and Gert Wingårdh (Sweden).  

Sinfonia Lahti conducted by Osmo Vänskä and featuring violinist Leonidas Kavakos, performed at the Award ceremony. The recipient of the international Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award in 2002 was architect Kengo Kuma (b. 1954) from Japan. The Award was conferred to Mr. Kuma on 21 September 2002 in the Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland, during the 3rd Sibelius Festival.  

A jury consisted of architects from three countries selected the winner of the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award. Its chairman was Gunnel Adlercreutz from Finland, and other members were Unto Siikanen and Jan Söderlund from Finland, Olga Quintanilha from Portugal and Roland Schweitzer from France.  

Both award ceremonies have been televised by a Finnish television station, MTV3, and transmitted to other countries by the EBU.  

The third recipient of the international Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award in 2004 was architect Richard Leplastrier (b. 1939) from Australia. The Award was conferred to Mr. Leplastier on 16th June 2004 in the Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland. The Spirit of Nature Award Ceremony was organised as part of the World Conference on Timber Engineering. The Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vänskä performed at the Award Ceremony.  

A jury consisted of architects from three countries selected the winner of the Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award. Its chairman was Gunnel Adlercreutz from Finland, and other members were Unto Siikanen and Mikko Heikkinen from Finland, Anne Lacaton from France and Johan Celsing from Sweden. 

The Award sum EUR 50,000 has been made possible by the support of the Finnish Forest Foundation.