Martino De Rossi: Helsinki provides space for experimentation
I was attracted not only by their simplicity but also their cosiness: in Finland, a lot of attention is paid to interiors and homes, since a lot of time is spent indoors.
Italian architect Martino De Rossi fell in love with Finnish wood construction. For his Collaboratorio architecture studio, Helsinki is a great place for pilot projects involving sustainable construction methods.
Back in Italy, I had always done a lot of woodwork with my father. At an architecture workshop in Venice, Anna-Maija Ylimaula, Professor at the University of Oulu, gave a talk about log houses in Oulu that really caught my attention. I was attracted not only by their simplicity but also their cosiness: in Finland, a lot of attention is paid to interiors and homes, since a lot of time is spent indoors.
I started looking for jobs in Finland, but the answer was always the same: you don’t speak Finnish. So in 2014, I decided to move to Helsinki and initially studied the language for two months in intensive courses at the University of Helsinki. It was a really good summer; I cycled every day from Pakila through the Keskuspuisto central park to the centre and went swimming at the Swimming Stadium before classes. I thought Keskuspuisto was really beautiful, and everything was so well maintained. The Finnish summer may be short, but Finns make the most of it!
I immediately felt that this was my place
Helsinki is not just a city of stone, there are trees and parks and spaces where there is no one. If you want the forest, you get the forest; if you want the sea, you get the sea.
Helsinki is a really good place to do creative work. It provides space for experimentation. Our studio is trying to use the city’s old heritage as a model, such as its solid brick and wood construction. Finland has experts in these areas, as well as investors who believe in it. For example, we have designed a solid brick building in Jätkäsaari that will house an international kindergarten.
A smaller project has been our convertible Cubile bed, and we are working on more wooden furniture in collaboration with the same carpenter. I like doing things with my own hands – we even made the floor of our office out of rammed earth. We are also currently investigating industrial clay construction.
Here everyone can create their own centre
The architecture in Helsinki has many historical layers: old solid brick buildings stand side by side with functionalist and 1960s architecture. This is very visible in Punavuori, for example. Helsinki lacks a clearly identifiable old town or medieval centre, such as in Stockholm. Italian visitors often ask, where is the centre? This is interesting because it means that here everyone can create their own centre. For me, it is Kruununhaka or Vallila.
In Helsinki you can get everywhere by car, while in Italy there are many pedestrian streets. Fortunately, pedestrian culture is becoming more prevalent here as well. Terraces are becoming more common and street space is being better utilised all the time.
I live in the Nelikulma building in Vallila that dates back to 1923 and has a lovely courtyard with grilling areas, a laundry room, saunas and carpentry workshops. This solid block connects its residents. The culture of sharing is exotic to me and a really great thing that unfortunately cannot be found in today’s Italy.
Seurasaari is wonderful. I visited here as soon as I first came to Finland as a tourist. All the log buildings from different parts of Finland still inspire me. My carpenter father also wants to visit Seurasaari every time he comes to Finland. When I lived in Töölö, I often went jogging around the island. If one side of the island is windy or out of the sun, the conditions are often the opposite on the other side.
I often go swimming at the Swimming Stadium in the summer. The best time is early in the morning, around seven o’clock, when there are few people. I like to sit in the sauna and listen as the old gentlemen talk about the war and other things from the past. The Swimming Stadium also has a great history. It has been beautifully made and renovated and has mostly retained its original appearance. Even after more than 50 years, the Olympic atmosphere can still be felt there.
I used to spend time at Temppeliaukio Church while living in Töölö. There were a lot of free concerts that year because of Sibelius’s anniversary, and I also liked to go there to read. The church has fine architecture designed by Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, and although almost all the surfaces are hard, the acoustics are really good and natural – even better than in newly designed concert halls. Nowadays, acoustics are designed to be too perfect with no echo or soul. Inside Temppeliaukio Church, you experience the violins and pianos one hundred percent – everything is in order.
While living in Töölö, I used to visit the Old Market Hall on Saturdays for breakfast and to pick up fish for a weekend meal. My current home is close to Teurastamo and Tukkutorin Kala, which have very much the same atmosphere. It is important to me that the place is within walking distance of my home. Here you can buy really good crab for antipasto, flounder for baked fish, perch for grilling, and various shellfish. I often make bake fish in the oven, with or without salting; just add olive oil, salt and black pepper – nothing else is needed!
Villa Oivala is a hidden gem – a fine architectural site that few know about. The villa was designed by Oiva Kallio for her own use, and she took inspiration from the houses of Pompeii. The villa features a small atrium, or rather a peristyle courtyard, which provides good protection from the wind – a lot of Italian elements adapted to the Finnish archipelago. I have been there three times helping to restore the villa with architecture studio Livady, and also as a guide for foreign students. The villa can only be reached on tours organised by the Finnish Association of Architects, but Villinki itself is a great daytrip destination that can be reached by ferry from the Market Square.