International style, international problems
Tommi Lindh, Architect, National Board of Antiquities, Finland
Finland is known internationally for its modern design and architecture. Alvar Aalto and
his buildings are a major part of our national wealth. Finland (or Alvar Aalto) was on the
peak of the international modernism towards the end of 1920s. The Paimio Sanatorium
showed the way for new architecture and a new healthy way of life. Finnish architecture
became widely celebrated and an inseparable part of the phenomena called the
international style. This fame continued after the second world war and slowly faded
away during the 1960s. The 40 years from the 1930s to the 1960s were and still are the
most prosperous, when it comes to international reputation, in Finnish cultural history.
Some of us still live that period and refuse to admit that it's over.
Still building conservation in Finland has so far dealt with buildings and sites from the
further past, mainly from before the 20th century. The first modern house was protected
with the Building Protection Act in 1974. After this 15 modern buildings have been added
to this list. In accordance dozens of state owned modern buildings and areas have been
protected with a special act. The number of modern buildings protected with town plans
is unknown. Anyway, the number of listed modern movement buildings and sites is under
500, about 2% of the number of all listed buildings and 0,05% of the one million modern
buildings in Finland.
The same way as some of us still don't admit that the years of Finnish fame are over,
some of us still live the modern project and don't see the past as an asset. As something
we could draw from. I'm sure that more than 500 out of one million are worth saving.
More will be saved but a lot will be lost. Our problem - which is an international one - is
how to choose what to save and what to destruct. Only the well known ones, like the
Aaltos? One example of every building type? What?
