Construction work for Syvälahti school on Hirvensalo island in Turku has started. The multipurpose building comprising comprehensive school for 800 children, kindergarten, public library and child health centre is scheduled for completion in spring 2018 with the first school year starting in August.

Image: Twitter @AaltoUniversity

The cornerstone laying ceremony of Väre, the new Aalto University building, was held today at Otaniemi Campus. Besides placing the time capsule within the foundation cornerstone, the festivities included speeches by honored quests f.eg. Jukka Mäkelä, the City Mayor of Espoo, and Tuula Teeri, the President of Aalto University.

The constuction work of Väre building is estimated to be completed in spring 2018.

Verstas was awarded purchase prize in the open architectural competition for new Town Hall quarters in Kauniainen, Finland.

Besides new Town Hall the competition task comprised designing new residential quarters in the centre of Kauniainen.

The construction work of Aalto University’s new core campus building as well as commercial premises in the Metro Centre has begun in Otaniemi. Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture will move into the building after it is completed in stages in April-June 2018. The temporary main entrance to Aalto University metro station, due to open in August 2016, is already nearly completed.

Have a look at the construction site through webcam.

Cure and Care – Healing spaces then and now at Museum of Finnish Architecture 25.11.2015 – 5.6.2016.

The exhibition co-produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA looks at the evolution of Finnish hospital and health care architecture through architectural competitions arranged from the late 1800s through to the present day. Verstas’ winning scheme “ITU” for Lapland central Hospital competition is featured as one the newest examples of re-creating Finland’s health care architecture.

We are proud to announce that Verstas has been awarded the Finnish State Prize for Architecture.

The Minister of Education and Culture, Ms. Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, presented the prize to Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva, Riina Palva and Ilkka Salminen today at the Government Banquet Hall Smolna in Helsinki.

 Read more here.

Verstas’ entry “Sakki” was awarded a shared 2nd prize in the open-two stage architecture competition for Jätkäsaari school in Helsinki. Click here to view the entry.

ARK – Finnish Architectural Review issue 2/2015 presents EY House with a nice review written by Simo Paavilainen. The issue also features f.eg. Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos.

Verstas’ Riina Palva will be participating a roundtable on architecture competitions at the Museum of Finnish Architecture 10.30 AM on Sunday, April 26th.

Verstas Architects has won the open architecture competition for the extension of Lapland Central Hospital. The 39 000 m² extension,  including e.g. emergency unit, psychiatric unit, children’s hospital and outpatient clinics, almost doubles the hospital’s current premises.

Verstas’ winning entry provides a flexible framework for the development of the Rovaniemi hospital campus. Functional entity enhances the healing process by paying attention to the patient and coziness of the hospital environment.