Maiju Suomi and Elina Koivisto are designing an “insect hotel” pavilion in Helsinki
Barren clay forms the walls of the Suomen pavilion by architects Maiju Suomen and Elina Koivisto. Paviljonki aims to offer pollinators an urban environment and was part of Helsinki Design Week.
Titled Platform Paviljonkithe project was installed in the courtyard between Finnish Museum of Architecture and Helsinki Design Museum in June. It will remain in this location until October 2023.
The understated pavilion consists of a series of low rectilinear structures created from various forms of clay, including compacted earth and fired and unfired bricks and wood.
Terracotta-toned bricks stacked on top of each other are characterized by intricate perforations, while structures formed from wooden panels are covered biochar.
Architectural duo Finland and Koivisto arranged the geometric structures of the courtyard to create a mix of seating and paths that follow large grow bags filled with over a thousand plant species.
Such plants include gourd, achilles, oxbow and grass, which attract insects to the pavilion so that they can live there and pollinate its flowers.
“Many visitors have exclaimed that this is like a giant insect hotel,” said Suomi Designed Alusta in collaboration with Koivisto as part of the couple’s respective research projects at Helsinki’s Aalto University.
The pavilion joins a number of other models that have emerged in recent years, created for cities and aimed at combating the dwindling populations of bees and other insects in these urban areas.
Clay was chosen for the project because it is often found in Finnish gardens and also because of its affordability, the architects of the pavilion assessed the material as durable.
“We are used to measuring the toxicity of building materials with their maximum permitted limits, which must not be exceeded,” Koivisto said about clay.
“What if we looked for alternatives that are completely harmless or even beneficial to us?”
Platform After the pavilion is dismantled, the materials used to create it will be recycled and the facilities will be reused.
During the Helsinki installation, a program of events will be organized in the pavilion, including children’s clay workshops and lectures focusing on architecture and climate change.
The pavilion was completed with the help of 50 Aalto University architecture students. It is currently featured as part of Models for a cooler planetan exhibition by university students dealing with the climate crisis.
Other recent designs created to promote urban biodiversity include biobricks made by researchers in Mumbai and insect towers formed from recycled IKEA furniture.
The pictures are courtesy of Maiju Suomen and Elina Koivisto.
Helsinki Design Week was organized from 1 to 11 September 2022 in Helsinki. Check out the Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events around the world.