05 12 2019

PES-Architects receives shared third prize in Uusi Kansallinen architecture competition

PES-Architects received shared third prize in the Uusi Kansallinen architecture competition for an Annex to the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki.

The prize was awarded to our entry Kolme pihaa (”three courtyards”). Our design seeks to harmonise the structure and use of the existing exterior spaces of the National Museum. The subtle glass parabola-shaped pavilion frames three distinctive courtyards around the main building, underlining their individual identities.

In its assessment, the jury described the shaping of the building as confident and stylish. The entry introduces a new, sensitive architectural concept alongside the National Museum. The wing-like, light building mass outlines the courtyard areas with a sophisticated touch and enables the courtyard park to be used in multiple and flexible ways.

Uusi Kansallinen (the ”New National”) was a two-stage, open ideas architecture competition for the design of an Annex to the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki. The competition was jointly organized by the Finnish Heritage Agency, the National Museum of Finland and Senate Properties. A total of 185 entries were submitted, out of which five finalists were chosen for further development.

PES-Architects’ proposal was designed by Pekka Salminen, Jyri Eskola and Jaewoo Chon together with Inaki Zuazo, Jianqiang Lin and Richard Leung.

Read more

02 12 2019

Pekka Salminen awarded with the Bene Merentibus Medal by the Association of Polish Architects

Architect, Professor Pekka Salminen, founding partner of PES-Architects, was awarded the Bene Merentibus Medal by the Association of Polish Architects (SARP) on 29 November 2019 in Warsaw. The Medal was presented in connection with SARP’s annual gala by Mariusz Ścisło, President of SARP.

Pekka Salminen received the prestigious Bene Merentibus Medal for his merits in European and world architecture as well as support for the development and promotion of Polish architecture, including many years of cooperation with the Association of Polish Architects.

Pekka Salminen is recognized for his work on complex public and cultural buildings in Finland and abroad. Salminen has had an international approach to architecture from the start, actively seeking collaboration with foreign architects and participating in international competitions and architectural events.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this distinction from the Association of Polish Architects,” says Pekka Salminen. “Poland could be called my first ‘architectural home country’ outside Finland. The international architectural collaboration that began for me in Poland later continued to expand to Germany, Croatia and, most recently, China.”

In all these countries, Pekka Salminen and his office have established local offices and collaboration and promoted their vision of the basic characteristics of Finnish architecture: user orientation, reasonableness, affinity with nature and sustainability. These systematic efforts have resulted in Pekka Salminen’s main works abroad: the Marienkirche concert church in Neubrandenburg, Germany, and the Wuxi Grand Theatre and Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre (SCAC ) in China.

Pekka Salminen’s ties to Poland date back to 1978, when his team participated in the Warsaw Confrontations competition. At this time, he met awarded Polish architect Romuald Loegler, who would become a lifelong collaborator and personal friend. A major joint project was the invited competition for the Kronprinzenbrücke memorial bridge for the reunification of Germany in Berlin in 1991, where they won third prize. They have continued to work on competitions together and are planning a joint exhibition in 2020.

As Marta A. Urbańska, Plenipotentiary of the SARP Main Board for Cultural Heritage, noted in her laudatory speech, Salminen’s role was particularly significant for Polish architecture in the 1980s in a country then behind the Iron Curtain, when his professional connections and standing helped Polish architects to establish links to the world. Salminen also sponsored or employed numerous young Polish architects and students during their studies or internships in Finland.

Salminen’s activities in Poland have been many. He acted as juror of the International Biennale of Architecture in Krakow soon after its establishment, contributing significantly to the promotion of the event. He has co-organised a sports architecture workshop, served in the competition jury for the Museum of Architecture extension in Wrocław, and lectured at events including the BUDMA International Construction and Architecture Fair.

The SARP Bene Merentibus Medal was established by the Association of Polish Architects in 1996 as a recognition to persons or institutions particularly distinguished for services to Polish architecture in a broad sense. The recipients – which have included names such as architectural historian and critic Joseph Rykwert, film director Andrzej Wajda and composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki – represent a wide range of cultural and social spheres. Pekka Salminen is one of the few non-Polish recipients of the distinction.

In connection with the visit, Pekka Salminen gave a public lecture entitled “The Art of Material” on 28 November at the SARP exhibition pavilion in Zamoyski Palace, Warsaw.

27 10 2019

PES-Architects awarded with WIN and WAN Awards for the architecture and interior design of Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre

PES-Architects has won the Gold Award for the Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre (SCAC) in the World Interiors News WIN Awards 2019 category for Cinemas, Theatres and Music Venues. The opera hall received a Bronze Award and the concert hall was a finalist in the Cultural Venues Category.

A Silver Award was received in the World Architecture News WAN Awards 2019 in the Façade category, rounded off with a Bronze in the Waterfront category.

The awards were announced at the WIN WAN Live event in London on 24 October.

“We’re delighted to receive these awards as a recognition for our achievement in creating a cultural centre that can be used widely for different purposes throughout the day," says Professor Pekka Salminen, chief designer of the project. "We also put great effort into using a historically and culturally significant Chinese material, ceramic, as extensively as possible on both exterior and interior surfaces.”

The complex houses an opera house, concert hall, multifunctional theatre, cinema centre and exhibition hall located in separate, petal-shaped buildings. A central Concourse Lobby, open all day, connects the venues, providing for flexible use of the public spaces and promoting the growth of local art production. The opera and concert halls are clad with ornamental ceramic tiles designed together with Taiwanese ceramic artist Samuel Hsuan-yu Shih and installed to meet the highest acoustic requirements. Another traditional Chinese material, bamboo, is also used extensively throughout.

The five double-curved main façades are made of 42,250 lens-shaped ceramic louvres, maximizing the shading capacity of the façade and creating a translucent “jasmine white” skin for the building. After dark, the interior bamboo wall creates a deep secondary façade layer behind the white ceramic screen.

Full list of awards:

www.worldinteriorsnewsawards.com/winners-2019/
www.wanawards.com/results-2019/

03 09 2019

Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre shortlisted for several architecture and interior design awards

The Strait Culture and Art Centre (SCAC), located in Fuzhou, China, has been shortlisted for the World Architecture News WAN Awards 2019, the World Interiors News WIN Awards 2019, and the Finnish Metal Facade of the Year award.

The SCAC is shortlisted in two categories for the World Architecture News WAN Awards: 'Facade' and 'Waterfront'. The World Interiors News has shortlisted the SCAC for the WIN Awards in the 'Cinemas, theatres and music venues’ category, and the opera and concert halls are both separately shortlisted in the 'Cultural venues' category.

The WIN and WAN Awards winners will be announced at the WIN WAN Live event in London in October.

In addition, the SCAC was nominated as a finalist for Metal Facade of the Year (Vuoden Metallijulkisivu). This is a newly established prize awarded by the Finnish sheet metal industry to pay tribute to innovation and sustainable constructions with focus on metal facades and roofs. The award ceremony will take place in September at the Plootu19 architecture event as part of Helsinki Design Week.

"We're particularly pleased that the Strait Culture and Art Centre is being recognised for its interiors, facades and waterfront location," says Professor Pekka Salminen, founding partner of PES-Architects and chief designer of the project. "The SCAC will be a focal point of the developing Mawei New Town district, and the cultural centre and its gardens open onto the Minjiang River, providing the community with a public riverside park for recreation even outside events.

"We also put great effort into using a historically and culturally significant Chinese material, ceramic, as extensively as possible on both the exterior and interiors of the buildings. The facades are clad with white ceramic tiles and louvres, and the opera and concert halls are clad with ornamental ceramic tiles custom-designed and installed to meet the highest acoustic requirements."

The curved, sloping roofs of the buildings are of prepatinated zinc. They are seen to form an equal part of the facades and were designed with as great attention to detail to fit into the overall architecture.

About the awards:

www.wanawards.com www.worldinteriorsnewsawards.com www.plootu19.fi

Read more

25 05 2019

Architizer A+ Awards 2019 Special Mentions to Strait Culture and Art Centre and Icon Yunduan Tower

Two of our projects in China have been awarded with a Special Mention in the Architizer A+ Awards 2019: the Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre in the Cultural-Hall / Theater category and the Icon Yunduan Tower in the Commercial-Office - High Rise (16+ Floors) category.

The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and products. In recognition of the exceptional quality of submissions received, the jury has acknowledged outstanding entries as Special Mentions, alongside the Finalists and Winners. Out of thousands of entries received from over 100 countries, the Special Mention distinction is awarded to work that exhibits remarkable achievement and scored in the top 5% of entrants.

You can view all the Finalists and Special Mentions at https://awards.architizer.com/finalists/finalists-2019/

25 05 2019

Asia Pacific Property Award for Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre

The Fuzhou Strait Culture and Art Centre was recognised with the Five-Star award as Best Public Service Architecture in China at the 2019-20 Asia Pacific Property Awards held in Bangkok. The project will go on to compete against international winners from other regions for the 'World's Best' title at the end of the year.

The Asia Pacific Property Awards are part of the long-established International Property Awards which celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry. The award nominees were judged by an independent panel of over 80 industry experts, with judging focused on design, quality, service, innovation, originality, and commitment to sustainability. The Asia Pacific Property Awards are the largest, most prestigious, and widely recognised programme throughout the regions.

Read more

15 05 2019

Next phase of Helsinki Airport expansion opens: first part of West Pier, new bus station

The latest phase of the Helsinki Airport long-haul terminal expansion has been completed with the opening of the first part of West Pier. The extension features 13,000 square metres of additional space with five new gates for wide-body aircraft, restaurants and a premium lounge. The West Pier continues the design of the previously completed South Pier and Aukio expansions with high, open spaces, steel structures and glass walls. Departing and arriving passenger flows are separated onto different levels, with moving walkways for added convenience.

The theme of Finnish nature continues in custom-designed wood details and furnishing. Wall surfaces are decorated with nine-metre-tall wooden reliefs made from Finnish birch. “The three-dimensional surfaces convey the mood of fluttering foliage and traditional wood shingle roofs,” explains chief designer Tuomas Silvennoinen. Large luminaires made from translucent plywood hang from the ceiling in undulating cloud-like forms, and even the charging stations for mobile devices are shaped into trees. The fixed furniture and luminaires are designed by Kai Lindvall of our interior design team. The second phase of the West Pier, including expanded baggage handling facilities, will be completed at the end of the year.

A new bus station has also been opened in front of Terminal 2 with bus platforms and a waiting area for invalid taxis. An escalator will be completed by the end of June to provide easy access from the bus station directly to the Terminal 2 check-in level.

Read more

26 04 2019

Tuomas Silvennoinen named Glass Builder of the Year 2019

PES-Architects partner and Design Director Tuomas Silvennoinen has been awarded as Glass Builder of the Year 2019 by the Finnish Flat Glass Association for his versatile use of glass in architecture throughout his career. According to the jury, Tuomas Silvennoinen has made an important contribution to the use of glass in architecture by designing a range of prominent buildings where glass structures play a key role on both facades and in interiors.

Silvennoinen works in close collaboration with industry experts to ensure the functionality of the glass structures for each individual project, including considerations such as noise insulation, solar protection and safety.

The jury cites West Terminal 2 in the Port of Helsinki (2017) as an excellent example of glass construction, where the design combines a sense of openness and light to create a pleasant passenger experience. Silvennoinen’s main international work, the Icon Yunduan Tower (2017) in Chengdu, China, also features wide glass facades. The same high quality and large-scale use of glass continues in the ongoing non-Schengen expansion of Helsinki Airport, where the award ceremony was held at the recently completed Aukio plaza.

“I’m grateful and honoured to receive the Glass Builder award. The value of using glass is obvious here at the airport: it allows passengers a view outdoors and to the runway, as well as making it easy and safe for them to navigate inside the terminal,” says Tuomas Silvennoinen.

The Finnish Flat Glass Association bestows the Glass Builder of the Year award in alternate years with the Glass Structure award to honour individuals and buildings that promote excellence in glass construction.

Read more

08 02 2019

New central plaza Aukio opens at Helsinki Airport for long-haul passengers

The heart of Helsinki Airport’s terminal expansion for non-Schengen and long-haul flights, called Aukio (plaza), opened this week. The new area is located at the intersection of the current terminal and the new gate area extensions, the South Pier (completed in 2017) and the West Pier (to be completed in phases this year). A particular focus is on the needs of transit passengers on flights between Europe and Asia.

Aukio will give arriving and transit passengers their first or even only impression of Finland: state-of-the-art technology and an experience of Finnish nature. "Although terminals everywhere must meet the same basic technical and functional requirements, this terminal also seeks to convey the message that Finland is a highly technologically advanced nation with an exceptionally close relationship with nature," says chief designer Tuomas Silvennoinen of PES-Architects.

The security control area for transfer passengers features a high glass wall, granite floor and birch veneer ceiling. Wood details and other references to Finnish nature are used throughout. Advanced security solutions and passenger services ensure a safe, smooth and comfortable user experience.

The core of the new area is the double-height central plaza, designed as an oasis of calm and refreshment for weary travellers. The triangular space is encircled by a 75-metre-long and 2 metre-high LED screen displaying a changing Finnish landscape in different seasons. The immersive experience is enhanced by lighting and sound effects and the birch-panelled walls act as an interactive touch screen. The installation is a collaborative effort by OiOi Collective with Granlund Oy, based on a concept by Davidsson Tarkela Architects and Rune & Berg Design Oy.

Photo Pasi Salminen / Finavia

28 01 2019

Helsinki central health and well-being centre project plan moving ahead

The health and well-being centre planned to be built over the existing Kamppi metro station in central Helsinki has been green-lighted by the City of Helsinki Social Services and Health Care Committee and will next be circulated for comments. The 14,000 m2 health and well-being centre would be a large centralised unit modelled according to the city’s new social services and health care service network plan. If realised, construction would start in 2022 at the earliest, with the building due for completion by early 2026. The estimated construction costs are EUR 74 million.

The new health centre building, designed by PES-Architects, is set to be a modern six-storey service centre of an architecturally high standard. The ground level will house the metro station and ticket hall as well as commercial premises to enliven the streetscape. Some health centre functions are also planned to be situated in the adjacent office building designed by Alvar Aalto (known as Sähkötalo, or Electricity Building).

Even at this early stage, the project has required exceptionally detailed planning due to the challenging site. The sensitive location of the building in the dense urban fabric on top of the existing metro station and in a prominent place between two architecturally significant buildings has also required close cooperation with the Helsinki City Planning Department. PES-Architects has been involved in planning the central health and well-being centre from the earliest needs assessment phase.

Read more

07 11 2018

West Terminal 2 nominated for European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2019

We are honoured that West Terminal 2 has been nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2019! The biannual prize is organised by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Commission. Its main goal is to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Europe

West Terminal 2 was completed in 2017 in Helsinki West Harbour to provide better facilities for the growing volume of ferry traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn and as a landmark for the developing urban district of Jätkäsaari. The terminal has received numerous Finnish and international awards and recognitions, most recently the German Design Award and ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture Winner award.

Read more

27 10 2018

West Terminal 2 wins German Design Award 2019

The West Terminal 2 ferry terminal in Helsinki has received another prestigious architecture award as Winner of the German Design Awards 2019. The awards will be presented at the awards ceremony in Frankfurt in February 2019.

Completed in 2017, West Terminal 2 was designed to serve the increasing volume of ferry traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia, as well as creating a new landmark for the developing urban district of Jätkäsaari. West Terminal 2 has received a number of Finnish and international awards and recognitions, and was selected for the Finnish Architecture Biennial Review 2018, showcasing the best of Finnish architecture in 2015-2017.

From the German Design Awards international jury: "What makes this design compelling is its open, generously proportioned design that’s also agreeably light and congenial. An elegant modern structure that evokes an airport terminal and that promises to be an equally pleasant place to spend time in."

The German Design Awards are a premier international prize awarded through a nomination process by the German Design Council, the authorative body for branding and design in Germany. Its goal is to discover, present, and honour unique trends in design. Awards are granted to projects that blaze new trails in the international design landscape.

12 10 2018

PES-Architects wins competition for Turku Railyard (Turun ratapiha) development project

PES-Architects' proposal Luoto (islet, skerry) has won the invited competition for an overall concept to develop the railyard area in the city of Turku on the southwest coast of Finland. The objective of the competition was to find a comprehensive plan that would complement the city structure as well as being realistic in terms of transport and costs and of high functional and architectural quality. The mainly privately financed complex is set to become a nationally and internationally attractive cluster of business, leisure, housing, events, experiences and sports for the 2020’s.

The focal point of our design is a comprises a central "hill" housing a hotel and sports arena onto which visitors can ascend to enjoy the scenic terraces overlooking the city. There is a water element at the top, reflecting the importance of the River Aura and the archipelago to the city. As a contrast, a horizontal building mass contains an experience centre and offices. Housing is located in angled blocks of various heights around the central buildings.

Read more

11 10 2018

Strait Culture and Art Centre opens in Fuzhou, China

The Strait Culture and Art Centre (SCAC) in Fuzhou, China, was opened to the public on 10 October 2018. The opening concert featured the China Philharmonic Orchestra, with distinguished guests including Finland's Ambassador to China, Jarno Syrjälä.

The 153,000 m2 hybrid cultural complex is our seventh project completed in China. Its five buildings and connecting terraces and underground levels contain an opera house, concert hall, multifunctional theatre, art exhibition hall and cinema centre alongside various commercial and leisure services. The design of the white, ceramic-clad buildings evokes sails as well as the petals of a jasmine blossom, the city flower of Fuzhou.

The building complex was our winning proposal in an international invited competition hosted by the Fuzhou Government in 2013.

Read more

11 10 2018

ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture Winner award to West Terminal 2

West Terminal 2, Port of Helsinki, was awarded as an ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture Winner at the awards ceremony on 8 October 2018 at the Pinakothek der Moderne gallery in Munich. The award, published in August, was accepted by architects Tuomas Silvennoinen (chief designer), Pekka Mäkelä, Hanna Eskelinen and Emanuel Lopes of PES-Architects.

The ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture is an international architecture and design competition that focuses on the interaction between the different disciplines. Awards are given to visionary buildings, innovative products and sustainable communication in all sectors of architecture, the construction and real estate business and the manufacturing industries.

The ICONIC AWARDS are granted by the German Design Council, one of the world’s leading competence centres for communication and knowledge transfer in design.

Read more

02 10 2018

Pekka Salminen awarded with the 2018 World Green Design International Contribution Award

Professor, architect Pekka Salminen, founding partner of PES-Architects, was awarded with the 2018 World Green Design International Contribution Award (Individual) at the 2018 World Green Design Forum Brussels Summit on 27 September 2018. The award was conferred by the World Green Design Organization (WGDO) at the Award Ceremony held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The theme of the Summit was "Green Design Facilitates Global Green Development". The awards honour professional individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to the human living environment through green design or the promotion of energy saving and the circulation economy.

Pekka Salminen and PES-Architects have worked actively in China for 15 years. In all competitions and realized projects, Salminen's leading principle has been sustainable design in the form of functionality and seeking new ways of using ecological materials. Main examples include:

- Wuxi Grand Theatre 2008-2012: For the first time in the world, a truly Chinese ecological material, a new type of technical bamboo, was used on a large scale.
- Strait Culture and Art Centre 2014-2018: Chinese ecological China White ceramics was used on a very large scale as a new type of exterior material and acoustic interior material.
- Nanjing Sino-Finnish Centre 2018-2021: Together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, PES-Architects has developed the solar façade idea, based on printed organic decorative solar cells. The Sino-Finnish Centre will serve as a pilot project for the Nanjing Southern New Eco-Town.

The World Green Design Organization (WGDO) was founded in Brussels, Belgium, in 2013 as the first non-profit international organization to promote the development of green design throughout the world. The World Green Design Contribution Awards were now conferred for the eight time. Previous Finnish winners of the award include Jussi Pesonen (2014) and Eero Paloheimo (2013).

Read more at www.wgdo.net

15 09 2018

NANJING SINO-FINNISH CENTRE moving forwards

PES-Architects Shanghai office General Manager Ms.Lailinli and Nanjing South New Town Development Group Deputy General Manager Mr Yu Xin signed a design contract for the Sino-Finnish Co-operation and Exchange Centre in Nanjing on 14 September 2018. The Finnish Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing, Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, also took part in the signing ceremony on his visit to Nanjing. The construction of the project is scheduled to begin by spring 2019.

The Nanjing Sino-Finnish Co-operation and Exchange Centre international architecture competition was organised in 2016 by the Nanjing Southern New Town management committee with support from the Embassy of Finland in China and Finpro. The competition was exceptional for China in that all the competitors were Finnish architects’ offices. The background of the competition traces back to a collaboration agreement between Finland and China, agreed between the the President of Finland, Mr. Sauli Niinistö, and President of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, in 2016.

PES-Architects' winning design is a metaphor of the massive ice blocks that form on frozen Finnish lakes and sea in winter. The project is a 210,000 m2 hybrid development, incorporating a hotel, offices, commercial, exhibition and multipurpose spaces, and will serve as the focal point for the residents of Nanjing Southern New Town. The project façade concept follows the project metaphor of frozen ice. The glass sheets of the undulating double skin façade are patterned with a printed solar-collecting ice crystal design. This façade, designed in collaboration with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is based on printed organic solar cells. The functional facade will not only be a pilot project architecturally, but more so philosophically, as it suggests a future where solar energy can be collected from all kinds of surfaces.

The Sino-Finnish Centre in Nanjing received The Architectural Review Future Project Innovation Award 2017.

Read more

06 08 2018

West Terminal 2 awarded as Winner of ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture

The West Terminal 2 ferry terminal in Helsinki receives yet another recognition as a Winner in the ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture competition.

The ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture is an international architecture and design competition that factors in the interaction between the various disciplines. Awards are given to visionary buildings, innovative products and sustainable communication in all sectors of architecture, the construction and real estate business and the manufacturing industries. The focus is on holistic production and the interaction between the trades in the context of architecture.

The ICONIC AWARDS are granted by the German Design Council, one of the world’s leading competence centres for communication and knowledge transfer in design.

Read more

07 07 2018

West Terminal 2 nominated for German Design Award 2019

We are pleased to share that West Terminal 2 has been nominated for the German Design Award 2019. The new ferry terminal in Helsinki West Harbour was nominated by the German Design Council, the expert for brand and design in Germany. The nominated projects will be assessed by an international expert jury in early August 2018. The German Design Award seeks to discover, present, and honour unique trends in design. Awards are granted to projects that represent pioneering contributions to the German and international design landscape.

Read more

29 06 2018

West Terminal 2 and Ring Rail Line Airport station featured in Finnish Architecture Review 2018

Two of PES-Architects’ projects have been selected for the Finnish biennial architectural review 2018 : the West Terminal 2 ferry terminal in Helsinki and the Ring Rail Line underground train station at Helsinki Airport in Vantaa.
West Terminal 2, completed in 2017, is a ferry terminal serving the busy passenger traffic between Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia. According to the jury, “Terminal buildings can often be considered “non-places”. However, in this case the architecture enhances the transition, the movement between different modes of transportation from land to water or from water to land. What is interesting is how the architectural form and space enhance this dynamic function of the building. This is visible both from the outside, seen already from far away, but also as an experience when inside the building. The new West Terminal is a completely contemporary interpretation of its typology.”
The underground Airport station of the Ring Rail Line, completed in 2015, connects the airport to the centre of Helsinki . In the jury’s words, “The best airport experience offers a coherent sequence of transportation episodes that cover the whole journey spanning from home base to the aeroplane speeding down the runway. The Helsinki Airport Railway Station fulfils expectations as the pinnacle of the rail journey and the overture – as well as the final cadence – to the flight. The architecture relies on the impacts of the electrifying sensation of arrival and the scale of the episode that spans from the underground platforms to the ground-level entrance points.”
Finland’s biennial architectural review presents a selection of 16 recent projects showcasing new trends and high standards of excellence in Finnish architecture. The review is organised by the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and the Alvar Aalto Foundation. The selections were made by a jury chaired by Portuguese architect Gonçalo Byrne. The review exhibition is open at the Museum of Finnish Architecture from 1 June to 16 September 2018. Read the full review catalogue here.

17 05 2018

PES-Architects at Open House Helsinki on 18 May

As part of the programme for our Helsinki-Shanghai exhibitionat the Museum of Finnish Architecture, our office will participate in the annual Open House Helsinki event with guided tours of two projects featured at the exhibition, the West Terminal 2 ferry terminal and the Ring Rail Line Airport train station , as well as our Marjaniemi office and studio. The tours will be led by the chief architect from PES-Architects. Welcome!

Details and schedule (in Finnish): Open House Helsinki

04 03 2018

HELSINKI-SHANGHAI – PES-Architects’ exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture

Finland and China come together in PES-Architects’ exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture 7 March–3 June 2018. The exhibition focuses on our major domestic and international projects during the years 2001-2018, when we established our business in China and a new generation took charge of our activities in Finland. We have recreated two studios related to our China story in the museum, where visitors can study the materials, models and designs that go into making complex public buildings such as transport terminals, cultural centres and mixed-use highrises.

The exhibition also celebrates PES-Architects’ 50th anniversary. Rather than a retrospective, however, it is a story of continuity and new openings.

The exhibition catalogue is available in English and Chinese. The book “Wuxi Grand Theatre” will also be published in connection with the exhibition.

Read more

15 02 2018

Third prize in competition for school and community centre in Tuusula, Finland

PES-Architects was awarded third prize in an open architecture competition for a new high school and multipurpose building, Monio, in Tuusula, Finland. Our proposal, Ahjo, suggests a new type of learning environment that combines a variety of learning functions into one functional and interdisciplinary whole. The architecture is based on a rational wood frame matrix: supporting spaces are condensed into compact concrete cores, liberating the remainder of the floor area for flexible reorganisation as needed. The heart of the cubical building mass is formed by a series of multipurpose halls that can be connected or separated to adapt to the needs of the school and its extended community. The three-floor-high building is vertically arranged into landscapes of community, learning and creation. Together, these spaces suggest a novel communal learning environment.

According to the jury, Ahjo is a beautiful, memorable and assertive proposal, where the spaces are arranged into a compact, sympathetic building volume that allows for a high degree of synergy between different users groups.

Ahjo was a joint effort between our Helsinki and Shanghai offices.

Read more (in Finnish)

22 11 2017

West Terminal 2 is Steel Structure of the Year 2017

West Terminal 2 in Helsinki's West Harbour has been awarded with the Steel Structure of the Year prize by the Finnish Constructional Steelwork Association from among nine shortlisted proposals.

The jury commended the design of the terminal building for its dynamism and clean, sculpted architectural lines, which makes it a striking landmark for the Jätkäsaari area as well as giving a good first impression to visitors arriving in Finland. The designers’ long experience in designing terminals is reflected in the functional and architectural clarity of the building. According to the jury's statement, steel and other metals have been used skillfully to implement the aesthetic goals and complex geometry of the design, particularly evident in the double-curved roof, slanted glass walls, taxi canopy structure and high arched ceiling of the departure lounge.

The successful outcome was achieved through close collaboration between the different design teams, using Trimble's Tekla Structures for structural modelling both in the planning and construction phase.

The Steel Structure of the Year award is a prestigious recognition granted annually to a building or structure that exhibits a high quality of architectural and structural design with particularly innovative and skillful use of steel.

Architectural design: PES-Architects / Tuomas Silvennoinen (chief architect), Pekka Mäkelä (project manager), Emanuel Lopes, Hanna Eskelinen

Client: Port of Helsinki
Main contractor: YIT Rakennus Oy
Structural design: Sweco Rakennetekniikka Oy
Steel frame and glass facades: Normek Oy

www.terasrakenneyhdistys.fi/terasrakennepalkinto  

Read more

09 11 2017

West Terminal 2 awarded with the Finnish Lighting Award 2017 for interior lighting

The new West Terminal 2 in Helsinki’s West Harbour has received the Finnish Lighting Award (Vuoden valaistuskohde) 2017 for interior lighting design. According to the jury, the ferry terminal is an excellent example of the successful integration of architecture, functionality and lighting under an overall design concept through collaboration between different design fields. Functional lighting solutions serve to guide passengers throughout the terminal, and the wide window walls allow for the optimal use of natural light. In the departure lounge, lighting has been successfully integrated into the wood ceiling to create a soft and calm ambience. The jury included representatives from several lighting industry organisations as well as the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and the Finnish Association of Interior Architects SIO. Congratulations to the winning team!

Client: Ari Parviainen, Port of Helsinki
Architecture: Tuomas Silvennoinen (chief designer) and Pekka Mäkelä, PES-Architects
Lighting design: Sanna Forsman and Matti Syrjälä, Granlund Oy
Electrical design: Tero Nieminen, Granlund Oy
Electricity contractor: LSK Group Oy  

Read more

02 11 2017

West Terminal 2 extensively featured in Finnish architecture and trade magazines

The West Terminal 2 Tallinn ferry passenger terminal in Helsinki's West Harbour, completed in February 2017, has been extensively featured in Finnish architecture and construction industry magazines this autumn. In the latest Finnish Architectural Review, architect Roy Mänttäri praises the design for its functionality combined with magnificent sculptural forms and the calm harmony of the interior. ARK - Finnish Architectural Review 5/2017 (digital issue can be purchased online) Puu (Wood) 3/2017 (available online) Betoni (Concrete) 3/2017 (digital issue) Teräsrakenne (Steel Construction) 3/2017 (available online for members)  

30 09 2017

PES-Architects Shanghai moves into joint studio premises with AVARTE Shanghai

The PES-Architects Shanghai office has relocated to a joint studio space with Avarte Shanghai Showroom in Yangpu District Shanghai, near Tongji University, in September 2017. The aim of the move is to enable flexible use of our shared facilities, which also allows for the organisation of various exhibitions, workshops and lectures at the studio.

The first event was a joint lecture by Professor Yrjö Kukkapuro, founding partner of Avarte, and Professor Pekka Salminen, founding partner of PES-Architects, at the opening of the studio on 22 September 2017. Their topic was Finnish design and architecture in a Chinese context.

PES-Architects and Avarte Shanghai are both pioneers in exporting Finnish design to China. Pekka Salminen and Yrjö Kukkapuro also share a common history of long-term cooperation and friendship. The new studio will be a natural continuation to this cooperation, allowing Yrjö Kukkapuro's furniture and the architecture of Pekka Salminen and PES-Architects, alongside other Finnish design products, to be presented in a Finnish spirit in the same place.

Photo left to right: PES-Architects' Jarkko Salminen, Pekka Salminen, Jyri Eskola, Yan Peng.  

Press release

24 08 2017

Helsinki Airport new south pier officially opened

Helsinki Airport's new south pier was officially opened on 24 August 2017, with speakers including Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. PES-Architects was represented by chief designer Tuomas Silvennoinen.

The south pier is an extension of the non-Schengen area of Terminal 2 and caters particularly to the growing number Asian travellers, providing increased capacity and gates for wide-body aircraft. The architecture features open spaces filled with natural light, as well as elements of Finnish nature and design in the materials and furnishing. PES-Architects was responsible for both architectural and interior design, including fixed furniture. The first flights from the new wing took off on 10 July, soon after a successful deployment test with 200 volunteers acting as passengers.

Photo: Finavia  

11 08 2017

Pekka Salminen, founder of PES-Architects, turns 80 today

Professor Pekka Salminen, Architect SAFA , was born on 11 August 1937 in Tampere, Finland. He received his MSc in Architecture from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1966 and started his career at the offices of Aarne Ervi and Timo Penttilä. In 1968, Pekka Salminen established a private practice together with Esko Koivisto and Juhani Siivola. This became PES-Architects Ltd, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

Pekka Salminen's main works to date include the multiple expansions of the Helsinki Airport since 1987, the Skiing Centre and City Theatre in Lahti, Finland, the Marienkirche concert hall in Neubrandenburg, Germany, the Wuxi Grand Theatre in China, and the Strait Culture and Art Centre currently under construction in Fuzhou, China.  

10 07 2017

Helsinki Airport's new south wing due to open this month following successful test day

The new south extension of the current non-Schengen terminal will provide increased capacity and gates for wide-body aircraft as part of Helsinki Airport’s ongoing development programme to respond to growing traffic. Separate arrival and departure routes as well as the airport’s first moving walkway will ensure a smooth travel experience, while elements of nature and Finnish design in the interior will appeal to Asian visitors in particular.

To make sure that everything will run smoothly upon opening, a unique deployment test was arranged on 6 July with volunteers acting as passengers to test the functionality of the new wing from orientation to accessibility and boarding processes. The first results of the simulation were overwhelmingly positive, and the feedback and experiences will be used to put the finishing touches to the new wing before opening it to traffic this month. Photo: Finavia  

Read more

09 07 2017

West Terminal 2 shortlisted for World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2017

The Port of Helsinki West Terminal 2 has been shortlisted for the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2017 in the Transport - Completed Buildings category. PES-Architects will present the design to the WAF international judging panel and audience at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on 15-17 November. Category winners will be announced the same day, and winners will go on to compete for the overall festival awards

The World Architecture Festival is an annual three-day event for architects and interior design professionals from all over the world. The WAF Awards are the world’s largest peer-reviewed architectural awards programme, with a record 924 entries from 68 countries received this year in 31 categories.

All WAF finalists: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/2017-shortlist  

Read more

12 06 2017

PES-Architects’ excursion to China

At the end of May 2017, PES-Architects Finland’s entire staff of 70 people travelled to China to see some of our main projects across the country and visit our Shanghai office.

 

Read more

23 05 2017

Business & Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation (CCEC) opens at the Icon Yunduan Tower in Chengdu, China

The opening ceremony for the Business & Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation was held on May 10 at the Icon Yunduan Tower, designed by PES-Architects (chief architect Tuomas Silvennoinen) in cooperation with China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (CSWADI).

The centre, spanning some 210,000 m2 in total, is located in Chengdu's Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone and serves as a platform for trade, investment and technology cooperation between western China and Europe. The 192-metre high tower hosts display and transaction areas for European products and Chinese and European technologies. It is also home to a theatre, art gallery, concert hall as well as retail, office and residential premises.

  In the news: [China Daily]

Read more

17 05 2017

The Hippos2020 project in Jyväskylä, Finland, moves forward to develop the area into the most versatile indoor sports and wellness cluster in the Nordic area

The existing Hippos sports facilities will be entirely replaced by new sports arenas and venues as well as facilities for sports research and a variety of health and wellness services. The area will also house a hotel, commercial spaces and residential building. The city plan for the area has been approved and the main investor will be chosen in autumn 2017 based on negotiations with respondents to the public tender concluded in May 2017. Construction is planned to begin in 2018. PES-Architects have been involved in the development process since 2015 and will continue further development of the design.

Read more

28 03 2017

PES-Architects have submitted a competition proposal for the design of Shanghai Nine Trees Art Centre

PES-Architects have taken part in an international invited architecture competition for the design of the Shanghai Nine Trees Art Centre. The 62,000 m2 cultural development is situated in Fengxian, Shanghai, and features an arts complex with three theatre halls ranging from 200 to 1,400 seats, an art creation centre and exhibition spaces. The competition included building and masterplan design. The other invited companies were Arata Isozaki Architects (Japan), Studios Architects (USA), Woods Bagot (Australia), Kris Yao Artech (Taiwan) and L’Atelier Frédéric Rolland (France).

PES-Architects’ design was presented to the Fengxian New Town management committee by Professor Pekka Salminen and PES-Architects Shanghai on March 21st. Results of the competition are expected in April.

Read more
Video

15 03 2017

PES-Architects win 2017 Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project award for Innovation for Sino-Finnish Cooperation Centre, Nanjing

PES-Architects have been awarded with the Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project special award for Innovation for the Sino-Finnish Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation Centre in Nanjing, China. The ARFP Awards celebrate excellence in unbuilt or incomplete projects. They are awarded annually in cooperation with MIPIM, the leading international property market, in Cannes.

ARFP jury: “This design combines cultural, technical and aesthetic considerations in an approach that marries art to the sustainable generation of energy in an architectural tour de force.”

PES-Architects’ Nanjing Sino-Finnish Economic and Culture Cooperation Centre won first prize in 2016 in an invited competition organised by the Nanjing Southern New Town construction development office with support from the Embassy of Finland in China and Finpro’s Beautiful Beijing programme.

The centre comprises a conference centre and design hotel, exhibition halls and showrooms, an office block and business hub as well as a Finnish-themed retail area, over a total floor area of 194,400 m². The overall design metaphor is ice – the massive ice blocks shaped by icebreakers or the pack ice formations that develop at sea in late winter.

The façades are clad with glass panels embedded with printed photovoltaic ice-crystal graphics, designed together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The panels provide shading while harvesting solar energy.

The ARFP winning projects are featured at the Innovation Forum at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. The award will be presented to Jarkko Salminen, CEO and Tuomas Silvennoinen, Design Director of PES-Architects, at the Future Projects Awards Dinner on 15 March 2017.

Read more
The Architectural Review

27 02 2017

The new Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2 (Länsiterminaali 2), designed by PES-Architects, opens to ferry traffic February 27!

The Port of Helsinki's new West Terminal 2 (Länsiterminaali 2), designed by Tuomas Silvennoinen of PES-Architects, opens to passengers on February 27. The spacious terminal will provide a smooth and comfortable travel experience for the majority of the 6-7 million passengers that travel between Helsinki and Tallinn each year. The design of the terminal emphasises ease of travel, with fast transitions to and from boats. The sleek, flowing lines of the building resemble a giant ray washed ashore. Inside the light-filled departure lounge, the wooden beamed ceiling provides warmth, while the tall glass walls open to a sweeping view of the sea and incoming and departing ferries. In summer, visitors can enjoy the wide seaside terrace. Many environmentally considerate solutions have been implemented, such as solar panels installed on the roofs of the boarding bridges to power the LED lights in the terminal. A state-of-the-art automooring system on one of the quays decreases ships' turnaround times and fuel consumption. The lead contractor was YIT Rakennus Oy, and the project was completed one month ahead of schedule and under budget.

Read more www.portofhelsinki.fi/english www.portofhelsinki.fi/finnish www.yle.fi

14 09 2016

PES-Architects win competition for the Nanjing Sino-Finnish Cooperation Centre

PES-Architects have won the architectural design competition for the Sino-Finnish Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Centre in Nanjing, China.

Read more

09 09 2016

10th annual Architects’ Football Tournament

PES-Architects joined more than 18 other offices in the 10th Annual Architect’s Football Tournament- PES Invitational 2016. Founded by PES-Architect’s in 2007 the tournament has grown from some 5 offices, to the hugely successful and anticipated event it is now. Unfortunately, PES-Architects were not able to win this year, but we congratulate APRT+NRT and thank all those who played and helped to organise the event especially Heikki Riitahuhta and the sponsors.

15 12 2015

The Wuxi Xidong pedestrian bridge opened to the public in September

The inspiring and dynamic bridge is now in regular use by local residents and commuters passing through the area. The bridge is a slender cabled stayed bridge with bamboo paving and a smooth aluminium finish connecting the two plazas on either side of the central lake for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. In the centre the bridge gently slopes down and provides a connection to a man-made island garden.

Read more

15 10 2015

The architectural competition of the The Royal Embassy Complex of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bishkek – Kyrgyzstan

PES has been awarded Second Runner-Up Award for its entry in October 2015. Henning Larsen Architects from Denmark won the competition.

01 01 2015

Ring Rail Line (Kehärata) underground stations received ”Geofantti Award” for design excellence

The Geofantti Award was given to Main Designer Arttu Suomalainen of PES on 24th September 2015. The Geofantti Award is awarded each other year by the City of Helsinki for architecturally outstanding underground spaces that improve the vitality and pleasantness of urban spaces in the Greater Helsinki area.

15 09 2015

PESARK opens a new second office in Kalasatama, Helsinki

The 450 sqm Kalasatama office located on the top floor of a newly renovated open plan office building benefits from a ca 170 sqm terrace overlooking Teurastamo (”Butchery”) and with sea views.

Read more

01 07 2015

“Work on Progress” New West Harbour passenger terminal, Helsinki

PES-Architects design for the new West Harbour ferry terminal is proceeding at full speed. The new terminal will concentrate on traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn and is expected to open in Spring 2017, when the new Tallink ferry will start to operate. The new terminal will be a state of the art design, tailor made to serve fast traffic between the two cities. The new terminal will create a focal point for the larger development of the west harbour.

Read more

07 07 2015

“Work on Progress” Expansion of Helsinki Airport

PES-Architects are continuing to develop the architectural design for the expansion of Helsinki Airport (Finavia). The extension will be one of the largest construction projects in Finland and is expected to require an investment of ~400 milj. Euors until 2020. The project took a major step forward with the opening of Helsinki’s ring rail line, (Kehärata), PES-Architects designed the airport station and connection, along with other stations and infrastructure.
More information can be obtained from Finavia’s website: www.finavia.fi

Read more

01 07 2015

Ring Rail (Kehärata) Line opened to passengers on 1st July 2015

PES-Architects has been involved in one of the most significant public transport projects in the Helsinki region for more than a decade. The Helsinki kehärata light rail line opened to passengers this week. The new line provides a fundamental link between Helsinki city centre, Helsinki Airport and the rest of Finland.

Read more

25 05 2015

Naisten kymppi / Women's Fun Run 24 05 2015

Again this year a group of cheery ladies proudly presented PES-Architects in women’s running event “Naisten Kymppi” that took place in the heart of Helsinki. The ladies’ smiles before the jog were almost as joyous as they were after. The group ran under the title PESSIMISSIT.

This works well as the kickoff for the training for the upcoming yearly PES-Football Tournament in the autumn time.

23 01 2015

Helsinki Airport, Terminal Expansion, Client Finavia Oyj

PES-Architects have commenced the schematic design of a new terminal extension at Helsinki Airport, Finland. The ~70,000 m² enlargement will extend to the west of the existing terminal T2. Terminal extension will include new wide body plane gates for mainly Asian traffic. PES-Architects is constantly working on various alterations at Helsinki airport including new retail areas and security check area in terminal T2.

Finavian projektitoimistossa suunnitellaan Helsinki - Vantaan tulevaisuutta:
Video

16 01 2015

The Finnish Minister of Finance visits Chengdu Icon Yunduan

Last month during an extensive visit to China, involving a delegation from a broad range of Finnish companies, the Finnish Minister of Finance Mr Antti Rinne visited the construction site of Icon Yunduan in Chengdu.

Chief Architect Tuomas Silvennoinen was present to present the project to the delegation.

Read more