JKMM: University of the Arts Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts
In 2017, JKMM, one of Finland’s most innovative studios, won the Helsinki University of the Arts design competition, which was completed in 2020. From its previous location, much further from the city, the classrooms of the Academy of Fine Arts. have moved permanently to Sörnäin next to the Theater Academy, to a newly designed space with plenty of space for activities open to students and the whole city. The plot chosen for the new Uniartei was a typical industrial area: Sörnäinen was developed as a port area in the 19th century and became an important power generation station in the 20th century, but many of the factories in the area are now closed. Parts of the area have been renovated or converted to residential use, and the neighborhood has become a lively young part of the city, although it has retained its original appearance. JKMM used the same approach in the architecture and interior of the new university campus, which preserves the industrial imagery in the facades arranged in contrast to the dynamic interiors, spaces designed to organize various activities that are also open to the general public.
The project was implemented on Sörnäinen street, which was separated from it by an existing row of trees. The new building stands on the site of what was once a large mill, which has been completely demolished, except for a tall modernist concrete silo, which still stands as a symbol of the neighborhood’s connection between past and present. The silo, renovated on the outside and adapted on the inside with design spaces, corridors and staircases, connects the Academy of Fine Arts to the Theater Academy located in the southern part of the block. The Academy of Theater has been operating for the last twenty years in the famous Kokos building, an old soap factory built in 1912. Now the area north of here, on the east coast of the Finnish capital, has also developed as the area has changed. The Academy of Fine Arts, called Mylly (mill in Finnish) because of the building that preceded it, retains the restrained, austere look of the old brick factory, which inspired JKMM’s brick construction with austere facades that are not scanned by industrial windows, but by wide, deep openings that are more suitable for classrooms and workshops.
This image differs from the interior, which is arranged around a courtyard lit from above. In the middle, the dramatic Steel Stairs cut through the void, run diagonally from one level to the next, connecting all the spaces and offering a dynamic vision of the space. The program of the Mylly building includes classrooms, art and dance workshops, offices, a lobby and gallery, a theater, a restaurant, a bookstore and a roof terrace, all in an area of 13,000 square meters.
On the ground floor there is an exhibition gallery open to the general public, while on the roof there is a large open terrace for the production and exhibition of artworks, with openings and beautiful views. “The vision of holistic design originated from the need to bring people together in a building that enables flexible use, but which is also firmly rooted in its urban context. It was important to us that the new spaces in no way limit what can be created inside the walls, but instead inspire students to boldly and imaginatively push the limits of what can be achieved in the building. In reality, the facilities are only ready when the art students use them and make them their own,” says project leader and JKMM founder Asmo Jaaksi.
Long life and durability were key factors that determined the choice of materials such as steel and concrete for a building that is exposed to a lot of wear and tear and must allow for functional changes during its life cycle. The aesthetic choice to leave them bare is motivated by the desire to convey energy and versatility through architecture, which is proposed as a primary source of inspiration for young creative artists. All the interiors have bare surfaces without finishes or coverings, the furniture uses only wood from the construction site, exposed concrete walls, unfinished welded steel and exposed utilities, creating the idea of a space where anything can be. kind of an idea and change day by day.
Mara Corradi
Architects: JKMM ARCHITECTS
Place: Helsinki, Finland
Size:
New Academy of Fine Arts: 11,000 square meters of new building and 2,000 square meters of preserved old building, a total of 13,000 square meters.
Theater Academy: 4,600 square meters of renovated premises
Competition win: 2017
Completion: 2021
Main user: University of the Arts
Client: Veritas Pension Insurance
Contractor: Lujatalo Oy
Structural design: Vahanen Oy
Electrical engineering Sitowise Oy
Geotechnical design: Pöyry Finland Oy
Audiovisual design: Ramboll Finland Oy
Acoustics and sound design Akukon Oy
HVAC design: Sitowise Oy
Fire consultant: L2 Paloturvallissi Oy
Photos: © Mika Huisman, © Niclas Mäkelä, Marc Goodwin, © Tuomas Uusheimo, © Asmo Jaaksi, © Hannu Rytky
Video: Tapio Snellman
Captions
01,11-12: © Mika Huisman
02-10: © Tuomas Uusheimo
13: © Asmo Jaaksi
14: © Niclas Mäkelä
15-16: Marc Goodwin
17-18: © Hannu Rytky