Turku in a Day

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Hey everyone! Had a busy week so far and have lots of pictures to post for you. I want to start with a little explanation of 'site' for my non-architectural friends and family since I sprung that term on you last week. For each design project we are assigned there is a proposed site for the building to be located on. Normally we go to the site and measure and take pictures of it and the site influences the design of the building. In the case of the sauna project which I mentioned last week this is a hypothetical site as there will be no actual construction happening. In the case of the pavilion we are designing in Turku one design proposal from my classmates and I will be chosen to be constructed. We will be taking this chosen design and modifying and constructing it as a group. We'll build it at the school workshop and transport it at the end of May to the site which is outside the Wäinö Aaltonens Museum in Turku. It will be part of the exhibition 'WILD' which opens... May 24 I think.

Yesterday I got up at 5:30am to get on the train to Turku which is a city about 2 hours West of Helsinki. I arrived there at 9:30 and spent the day exploring the city. I had two missions: to take pictures of my site at the Waino Aaltonen Museum, and to visit St. Henry's Ecumenical Art Chapel 'Pyhän Henrikin Ekumeeninen Taidekappeli'. Before these two buildings opened I went to the Turku Cathedral which is the oldest church in Finland and was inaugurated in 1300. The low sun is often covered with clouds so every time the sun came out I was taking pictures.

After the Cathedral I headed straight over to the Wäinö Aaltonens Museum to get pictures of my site before the sun went down. I also visited the museum which has a great exhibit right now of an artist named Otso Karpakka. He has some amazing oil paintings on display right now which I really liked.

I left the muesum in a snowstorm and decided to go to the Art Chapel before there was too much fresh snow on the ground but by the time I got there (a half hour bus ride from Turku) the sun was out again and shining brightly. This light could leave at any moment so I was running from the bus stop to the Chapel racing against the clouds. The building was designed by Matti Sanaksenaho and was inaugurated in May 2005. It has members from eight denominations but is also used for concerts and art exhibitions. The building is made of loadbearing glulam ribs at 2m intervals. These ribs are covered with pine boards and the floor is also made of pine planks. All the furniture is made of solid alder.

I got back to Turku by 4pm and had dinner. The sun by this time was gone and I was tuckered out so I headed to the train station for the next ticket back to Helsinki. Enjoy the pictures!

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Comments

[Bob Katajamaki]

Turku Cathedral
Jessie was this the place where a lot of people were in tombs? On our tour, if it was, this is where the only finnish woman, who was the queen of Sweden is buried.

[jessie_elicia]

Queen Karin Mansdotter
yep, that's the place. I didn't see the tombs though, I had not enough time.

[Angela]

This is so much fun!
Your trip is a blast. I'm having fun vicariously exploring with you. Hmmmmm... let me think now.... should I be planning to do this my real self?? Anyway, it's great. Keep on sending those gorgeous pictures. I loved St. Henry's chapel. Love how you are tripping those polysyllabic Finnish words off your typing fingers. Love, Ang

[Gunilla Australia]

Hi
enjoyed your site found it looking for some information on my ancestor Queen Karin Mansdotter married to Erik 14th I am finding it hard to find something or a picture of a paiting for example. could you please E-Mail me if you have any ideas Thanks [e-mail]