ARCHITECTURE IN EUROPE

Study Abroad Overview

Chad Kraus and Shannon Criss | Summer 2022 Architecture in Europe Study Abroad Finland, Sweden, and Denmark

Description

This project required a study of the architecture in three European countries: Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. As we spent time in these countries, we took photos and sketched important architectural concepts and took notes of how architects in these areas used their skills to create structures that weren’t only beautiful, but practical and sustainable. This program required us to keep a sketchbook and sketch daily of important concepts we saw throughout our trip. I used my phone camera to capture over 2,000 photos, as well as my sketchbook with pens and alcohol based markers to establish materials.

Key Learning Outcomes

Understanding that different countries have different designs based on backgrounds, cultural differences, and environmental differences. Also understanding how to apply new concepts to future designs.

Alvar Aalto’s home, by Alvar Aalto, Helsinki, Finland Alto wanted a more modern home that promoted closeness and comfort for his family. Both he and his wives (first and second) helped design and decorate the home. Aalto used his home as his office and invited his employees to work here before he designed his studio a few blocks over.

Finland

Starting our trip to Finland was the easiest transition for me. Helsinki is a city of all different people, similar to how American cities function. The most significant change was public transportation. There was an abundance of different transportation like trams, buses, subway, etc. The public also knew how to use the transit and be respectful, scanning their cards, sitting quietly, and helping those around them, especially lost students like ourselves. Helsinki also adored its architecture, especially works by Alvar Alto. Many of his works, as well as his home and studio, sit in and around Helsinki. There’s even a University named after him, and he designed a few of the buildings. One of the main works that stood out to me was Kamppi Chapel, designed by Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola and Mikko Summanen. The chapel is located in a busy part of the city, in Narinkka Square. The purpose of this structure is to provide a place of silence. There is no talking allowed inside the main chapel, allowing people to pray, gather their thoughts, or have a place to sit quietly. There was thick timber siding on the outside curves along the structure, forming an oval-like cylinder. The entire structure’s façade is a light timber lit up by the natural sunlight flowing through the roof. There are no windows, which allows the observers to focus on themselves and reflect. The indirect light is meant for sight and to shine down and warm those inside. Going from the loud, bustling city to walking through two doors and hearing nothing was a relief. I felt myself already calm down and focus on my thoughts. Helsinki, while a city, knows how to step back and relax.

St. Henry’s Ecumencial Art Chapel, by Matti Sanaksenacho, Turku, Finland

Sweden

After Finland, we took the ferry over to Sweden. Sweden was a very bustling city; cars speed past while a bus follows in pursuit every once in a while. Sweden had a better transportation system than anything in America, but Helsinki still had it beat. Even though we were only in the country for about five days, there was still a lot of architecture to explore. Stockholm is a much older city compared to Helsinki, so most of the architecture was from hundreds of years ago. A few much newer buildings were present, but the majority of places we visited were enriched in culture. One specific part of downtown was called “Old Town,” which held many midhigh historic structures, with tight alleyways flowing throughout the buildings. Even as you walk out of Old Town, plenty of chapels feel tied right back to that area. One of the chapels in the immediate area was The Riddarholmen Church, designed by Franciscan friars in the area. It holds multiple royal families’ tombs with high ceilings and lots of ornamentation. This chapel is about 800 years old and older than the majority of the structures in Old Town. While this chapel is not inside Old Town, it serves as a great anchoring point in the city: it stands taller than almost every structure around it. This may be because of its importance as a tomb for a lot of the royal family.

Hotel Shower, Stockholm, Sweden

I documented this because it was once of my “different” ways of living. None of their showers included a bathtub and they were not accessible under the ADA’s guidelines. While they don’t follow the ADA guidelines, it’s interesting to see how accessible the United States is compared to other countries.

Denmark

The last destination was a train ride over to Denmark. I didn’t experience much of a cultural difference between Sweden and Denmark; people spoke both languages, the public transit was almost identical, and the majority of the architecture in the city was historical. The main difference is how Copenhagen is making strides for environmental sustainability in its structures. One example of this strive for environmental sustainability is the Amager Bakke, the ski slope with a power plant inside. The city wanted a power plant to convert heat and power waste to energy, but they didn’t want it to be an eye sore because of how close it is to the city. To combat this, they built around it and made a grass ski slope to be used year-round by the public. I visited this ski slope during the summer, which was not popular. Only two other groups were visiting, and one tried to ski down, but they kept stopping and falling off. While the power plant benefits the city, there needs to be more upkeep on the ski slope or transformed into something that the public would find more interest in.