Additions in the register selection by Docomomo Finland
The number of Docomomo sites in Finland was increased by seven new buildings. In December 2023 the following masterpieces were included in the register selection:
Kajaani Police Station and Art Museum, Kajaani, 1936 / Eino Pitkänen
Hotel Mesikämmen, Ähtäri, 1973, 1976 / Timo & Tuomo Suomalainen
Lahti City Theatre, Lahti, 1983 / Pekka Salminen
Heureka Science Centre, Vantaa, 1989 / Mikko Heikkinen and Markku Komonen
Terästammi housing, Tampere, 1990 / Arkkitehtitoimisto 8 Studio Oy
Niittykumpu Fire Station, Espoo, 1991 / Erkki Kairamo and Tapio Saarelainen
Laivapoika housing, Helsinki, 1995 / Arkkitehtitoimisto Helin & Siitonen Oy
The articles of the new sites will be provided on these Internet pages later.
Docomomo’s register selection book is still available!
The book highlights 87 masterpieces of Finnish Modernism by articles written by 30 Finnish specialists.
The sites in the new catalogue are categorised on a temporal and thematic basis. The order of entries progresses from the breakthrough of Functionalism to the post-war reconstruction era, the construction of the welfare state, and the stages of urbanisation culminating in the 1980s. After long deliberation, the selection was complemented with sites that tested the limits of strict Modernism – thus emulating the first selection which included organic, unorthodox and multi-formed buildings.
The book is completely bilingual in English and Finnish. You can get your own copy on Alvar Aalto Foundation’s online shop, for example.
Docomomo?
This site showcases the whole Docomomo register selection of modern Finnish architectural masterpieces. You can explore sites, architects, and architecture from different periods and decades. In addition to the selection, the website offers information on Finnish Docomomo and its work and membership. We wish you many interesting moments with modern Finnish architecture!
Docomomo International (International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement), founded in 1988, is an organization for the research and conservation of modern architecture. The organization currently comprises chapters from approximately 70 different countries, all over the world.
Docomomo Suomi Finland acts as an expert organization for modern architecture in Finland. It procures information and international contacts within its own field of expertise. The most central part of Finnish Docomomo’s work is maintaining a selection of important architectural and environmental sites. The list presently contains nearly 90 sites. The society also supports publication activities within the field and organizes events and field trips to interesting sites of modern architecture.
The activities of Docomomo International as well as the Finnish chapter are open to anyone interested in the field!