Architect
JKMM Architects
Completion
2021
Gross area
13000 m²
Category
Educational buildings
Tags
culture OpenhouseHelsinki23 school

Helsinki’s University of the Arts’ new building blends effortlessly with its surroundings. The disused industrial buildings in Helsinki’s Sörnäinen neighbourhood, used to belong to Helsingin Mylly ja Kauppa, a local milling company. 

The idea of a shared arts campus in Helsinki was first floated in 2013 when the Academy of Fine Arts merged with the Theatre Academy and Sibelius Academy to create the University of the Arts. A design competition followed four years later. The brief was to design new premises in Sörnäinen for the Academy of Fine Arts on the vacant brownfield site adjacent to the Theatre Academy. The competition was ultimately won by a joint entry from JKMM Architects Asmo Jaaksi and Teemu Toivio, construction company Lujatalo and pension insurance company Veritas.

The imposing brick massing, with its rows of evenly spaced windows, asserts a confident presence among the existing developments on Sörnäisten rantatie street. The choice of material here forges a direct link with the area’s industrial past. The materials used inside are glass, smooth cast concrete and black wood cladding. Glimpses of the old building, visible around the edges, are an added fillip.A building like this won’t be fully complete until it’s covered in paint stains, Asmo Jaaksi points out. He and his team have delivered on their client’s vision to create an adaptable, flexible open space with an industrial character.

Extract from Elina Koivisto’s review: https://www.ark.fi/en/2021/05/a-new-home-for-the-arts/ 

Location

Sörnäisten rantatie 19, Helsinki
60.1820227, 24.9605663

Images

Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Hannu Rytky)
Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Hannu Rytky)
Building facade facing east, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Building facade facing east, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Marc Goodwin)
Entrance, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Entrance, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Marc Goodwin)
Lobby, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Lobby, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Asmo Jaaksi)
View from ground floor to ceiling, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
View from ground floor to ceiling, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Mika Huisman)
2nd floor landing, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
2nd floor landing, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Tuomas Uusheimo)
Stairs, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Stairs, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Tuomas Uusheimo)
View of stairwell from top, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
View of stairwell from top, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Asmo Jaaksi)
Roof, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Roof, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Asmo Jaaksi)
Art classroom, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Art classroom, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Tuomas Uusheimo)
Classroom, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Classroom, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Tuomas Uusheimo)
School interior, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
School interior, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Tuomas Uusheimo)
Production floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Production floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© Mika Huisman)
Ground floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Ground floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)
1st floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
1st floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)
2nd floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
2nd floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)
3rd floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
3rd floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)
4th floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
4th floor, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)
Cross section, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly
Cross section, Academy of Fine Arts, Mylly (© JKMM Architects)

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