The new book Rauma : arkkitehtuuriopas – architectural guide by the representative of Bryggman institute, Mikko Laaksonen has been published on 9th June 2025. Laaksonen will guide in Rauma in June and July in three periods 26th to 28th June, 12th to 13th July and 28th to 30th July.

The architecture guide presents the significant architectural landmarks of Rauma. In addition to Kirsti, Marela, Pinnala, Tammela, and the Town Hall, numerous other examples from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Rauma are presented. Rauma also boasts impressive modern architecture, such as the state office building, the main library, and the Kari campus. The guide comprehensively and clearly describes the standardised house areas and housing construction in Rauma by district. It also covers the maritime area of Rauma as well as the rural architecture of Rauma's countryside, Lappi, and Kodisjoki. The book is the eleventh one by Laaksonen on local history and architecture.

The book can be purchased within Finland from the book shop of the writer.
https://holvi.com/shop/MikkoLaaksonen/

In other cases, please contact by email.

Old Rauma : architectural guidance

Sat 12th July 2 – 4 PM

Mon 27th July 6 – 8 PM

Start: Raatihuoneentori, Kauppakatu 13

The guidance presents Old Rauma from point of view of architecture.
The historical town of Rauma has not burnt down since 1682 and the restructuring plans were not implemented as unrealistic. The log frames of the buildings are often from 18th and 19th centuries, but the current form is from rebuildings in the turn of 19th to 20th century. How does Old Rauma compare to other Nordic wooden towns? How the buildings have been altered in restorations in recent decades and how do the infill buildings look? 

III district : architectural guidance

Thu 26th June 6 – 8 PM

Tue 29th July 1 – 3 PM

Start at Männistö kiosk, Syväraumankatu 1

The third district of Rauma, to the north of the railway is like a picture book of Finnish architecture. The construction of the area started with wooden houses for workers and classicist type houses. Type houses were constructed for Lönnström companies, and during the post-war shortages several two-storey wooden buildings were built. The state Arava funds were used to build high-rises along Syväraumankatu, for the well-off terraced house were provided.

Architectural guidance: town centre, teacher seminary and Kanali banks

Friday 27th June 3 – 5 PM

Sunday 13th July 1 – 3 PM

Start Rauma town hall, Kanalinranta 3

The tour presents the architecture of the town centre, teacher seminary and Kanali banks, both public buildings, commercial buildings and residential houses.

The new town centre of Rauma was built from the beginning of 20^th century with the tower of the Voluntary Fire brigade as the landmark. Valtakulma by Erkki Huttunen was the first functionalist co-operative store in the country. The teacher seminary was located at Rauma at the end of 19^th century, its school buildings are from different times. The second district includes also high-rises by Keijo Valli and Eero Kari. We will return via the Kanali banks beside the state office building and library.

Architectural guidance: Onnela, Nummi, Asevelikylä and Polari

La 28.6 klo 13-15

ke 30.7 klo 13 – 15

Start southern side of Kalatori

To the south of Old Rauma there is a large zone of worker´s housing. Onnela and Nummi are wooden house areas, Asevelikylä and Polari have type houses and high-rises.

Onnela was built to the south of Old Rauma along a regular grid plan. Nummi is a newer concept: type houses for workers, with the houses tailored for the builders as a matter of course. Asevelikylä has veterans houses. Between it and Polari are Töyryntie and Nummenvahe high-rises and Hirsikatu atrium houses.

 
Info:
Booking: https://holvi.com/shop/MikkoLaaksonen/section/opastukset-guidances/

2 hour walking tour. Clothing according to weather and good shoes.

In English upon request.

Guide author Mikko Laaksonen

Prices: cash or mobilepay

10 e basic price 5 e under 18 years, student, unemployed, pensioner, 7,5 e advance ticket

35 e Rauma : arkkitehtuuriopas – architectural guide, each purchase equals free ticket

Seminar on Brutalism

Sibelius Museum 22nd Sept 2023 1 PM – 4 PM

Piispankatu 17, Turku, Finland

In connection with the exhibition the Bryggman institute organises a seminar on Brutalism on 22^nd September. The main speaker, Guja Dögg presents the architecture of Icelandic Högna Sigurðardóttir in English. The rest of the programme is Finnish, but the pictures are in any language.

Brutalist architecture has risen in discussion due to new research and public interest. At the same time several buildings have, also in Finland, been torn down, while others have been protected and restored.

Guja Dögg Hauksdóttir is Architect Cand. Arch. from Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark. She works with architecture, philosophy and ideology in various forms and wide scope, ranging from independent research, education development, curating, writing and broadcasting as well as designing. Guja Dögg has been the head of the architecture department at Reykjavík Art Museum as well as working free-lance for the Nordic House in Reykjavík and other cultural institutions in Iceland and Nordic countries. Currently, she is working on a biography on architect Högna Sigurðardóttir's (1929-2017) work in a bigger context of poetic modernism and brutalism

Other speakers will discuss Finnish brutalist architecture and its preservation. In connection of the seminar, the Exhibition Dearly detested concrete is open.

1 PM

Guja Dögg

The concrete poetry of  architect Högna Sigurðardóttir

1:45 PM

Mikko Laaksonen

Brutalism in Finland (in Finnish, english text in slides)  

2:15 – 2:45 PM coffee

2:45 PM

Timo Jeskanen

Restoration of Roihuvuori school (in Finnish)

3:15 PM

Kaisa Karvinen & Karita Rytivaara

Stripped frame (in Finnish)

3:45 PM

Discussion: how to preserve brutalism

After the seminar, in the Fredagar på Sibbe series musician Halla Steinunn plays 7PM to 8PM.  We hope as many participants of the seminar as possible can participate in the concert!

https://sibeliusmuseum.fi/en/events/fredagar-pa-sibbe-halla-steinunn-stefansdottir/

The seminar is free of charge, register by e-mail to info@bryggman.fi by 20 Sept.

Exhibition Dearly detested concrete - Brutalism in Finland 17^th September 2023 – 7^th January 2024.

The upcoming exhibition in the Sibelius Museum presents Finnish concrete architecture. The exhibition Dearly detested concrete  – Brutalism in Finland is opened on 17^th September. Among others miniatures and photos of brutalist buildings are presented. The exhibition is based on the book project Brutalism in Finland by the non-fiction author, representative of Bryggman institute Mikko Laaksonen.

The architectural style marked with exposed concrete, become common in Finland during 1960´s. The style evokes emotions both for and against. The Dearly detested concrete  – Brutalism in Finland presents many so called concrete brutalist buildings around Finland. Miniature models and photographs present the contrast between the interiors and exteriors. The Sibelius Museum functions as a perfect frame for the exhibition, as the buiding, planned by Woldemar Baeckman presents concrete brutalism in an internationally exemplary way.

The exhibition Dearly detested concrete  – Brutalism in Finland is open in the Sibelius Museum 17^th September 2023–7^th January2024.

Book project Brutalism in Finland:
https://www.facebook.com/BrutalismFinland

Sibelius Museum

Piispankatu 17, Turku

Open Wed-Sun 11 AM – 4 PM

Guidances on the university area

The representative of Bryggman institute, non-fiction author Mikko Laaksonen guides to the modernist and brutalist architecture of Åbo Akademi and University of Turku. The guidances are by requests in Finnish, Swedish and Englist. Start at Sibelius Museum, Piispankatu 17.

Sunday 1st October 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Free, part of the Åbo Akademi foundation day programme.

Saturday 14th October 1 – 3 PM

Guidance 10 euro basic price, 5 euros under 18, unemployed, student, pensioner

Concerts

The theme of concrete is presented also in the music pieces in the concerts in the museum during tha autumn. In the “Aika nousi merestä” – “Time rose from the sea” concert in 20th September compositions by Carita Holmström and Pauliina Isomäki are played. On Sunday 1^st October the band Pyramidit plays free jazz classics of the 1960´s and 1970´s and own compositions. On 4^th October Kari Ikonen and Matti Innanen play concrete brutalist bagatells. In the concrete brutalist evening on 7th December avant-gardist compositions by Peter Ablinger, Laurence Crane and James Tenney comment the style. Concerts and events in Sibelius Museum: https://sibeliusmuseum.fi/evenemang/

The hyperbolic paraboloid forms linked to concrete brutalism can also be admired in the Iannis Xenakis music performed by the Turku philharmonic orchestra in its concert on 30^th November.

 Info: https://tfo.fi/

Picture: Brekkugerði 19, Reykjavik. Högna Sigurðardóttir 1961-1964. Picture Arnór Kári Egilsson

6 PM on 23th August 2023

Brinkkala house, Green hall, Vanha Suurtori 3, Turku 

Moisés Royo conceives MUKAarquitectura´s work as an interpretation of the context in which the project is inserted, choosing the final form not as an end but as a result of a study of the site's demands, natural light, use and genesis of the created spaces. The project is understood by analyzing history, bringing it to the new proposal by meeting present-day needs and solving them with current construction techniques. The material takes on vital importance to emphasize the sensorial condition of architecture. Additionally, their projects propose a critique of the urban context that governs the city in the present days.

Moisés Royo (1981) graduated from Madrid School of Architecture in 2007. Moisés was awarded a grant to pursue post-grad studies, where he undertook research work at Columbia University in New York and completed a Master´s Degree in Advanced Architecture Design (2006). He obtained his PhD on Dipoli in 2014 and became Associate Professor from 2015 to 2021. He was also TA at Barnard College in NYC in 2005, guest lecturer in Canada, Italy, Portugal and other cities in Spain. Moisés founded mukaarquitectura in 2008 to explore on his architectural research. From its creation, the office has obtained national and international recognitions, as one of the Young Architects of Spain “JAE” (2011) selected by the Spanish Ministry of Housing, Europan Switzerland (2011), FAD Awards (2014), WA Awards (2015), Tokyo (2016), Riga (2017), Vienna (2018), Hispalyt Awards (Spain) and Brick Awards (London) in the same year and 2022, Pipa Awards (London) 2023. From 2023 Moisés is also International Expert Evaluator at the Spanish Service of Internationalization of Spanish Higher Education SEPIE.

Picture:

Casa Farol / Lantern House (2022), Javier Callejas

The upcoming exhibition in the Sibelius Museum presents Finnish concrete architecture. The exhibition Loved hated concrete – Brutalism in Finland is opened on 17^th September. Among others miniatures and photos of brutalist buildings are presented. The exhibition is based on the book project Brutalism in Finland by the non-fiction author, representative of Bryggman institute Mikko Laaksonen.

The architectural style marked with exposed concrete, become common in Finland during 1960´s. The style evokes emotions both for and against. The Loved hated concrete – Brutalism in Finland presenta many so called concrete brutalist buildings around Finland. Miniature models and photographs present the contrast between the interiors and exteriors. The Sibelius Museum functions as a perfect frame for the exhibition, as the buiding, planned by Woldemar Baeckman presents concrete brutalism in an internationally exemplary way.

In connection with the exhibition the Bryggman institute organises a seminar on Brutalism on 22^nd September. The main speaker, Guja Dögg presents the architecture of Icelandic Högna Sigurðardóttir.

The theme of concrete is presented also in the music pieces in the concerts in the museum during tha autumn. The hyperbolic paraboloid forms linked to concrete brutalism can also be admired in the Iannis Xenakis music performed by the Turku philharmonic orchestra in its concert on 30^th November.

The exhibition Loved, hated concrete – Brutalism in Finland is open in the Sibelius Museum 17^th September 2023–7^th January2024.

Book project Brutalism in Finland:

https://www.facebook.com/BrutalismFinland

More info on the concert of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

https://tfo.fi/fi/tapahtuma/titaaninen-sinfonia

Sibelius Museum

Piispankatu 17, Turku

Open Wed – Sun (11–16)

sibeliusmuseum.fi

The theme year on residential architecture of Bryggman institute is opened at the Turku main library with an exhibition on residential architecture in Turku in 20^th century .

 Downstairs in the lobby are exhibited the wooden workers’ housing co-operatives, stone houses in the city centre and the beginning of the half-municipal housing production. Upstairs in the Non-Fiction Department are presented type houses, Arava high-rises, suburban housing projects and high-rises in the city centre. The apartment buildings designed by Erik Bryggman and Alvar Aalto in Turku are also presented. The exhibition panels are in Finnish, Swedish and English.

The exhibition also presents original models of Asunto Oy Carenia, Kauppiaskatu 2 designed by Pekka Pitkänen 1960–1961 and the Runosmäki housing area planned by  ATR-suunnittelu. The materials include also historical building plans and housing brochures from 1950’s to 1970’s. There are also books on residential architecture, which are also available for loan at the library.

 Picture: Type houses on Takamaantie, Luolavuori, Turku

Turku main library
Linnankatu 2

Mon – Fri 9 AM – 8 PM

Sat – Sun 11 AM – 5 PM