Pekka Helin

Within the framework of the events FΑR NORTHERN REFRACTIONS OF EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE

In collaboration with the Embassy of Finland and the Finnish Institute

The event series “FAR NOTHERN REFRACTIONS OF EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE” offered an opportunity to present the contemporary architectural trends of the countries of Northern Europe in Greece and to explore the differences between nations that, at first glance, appear to be governed by a timeless homogeneity—one established by the similarities in natural environment, socio-political conditions, standard of living, and even the available local building materials. On behalf of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, I would like to thank the Embassies and Institutes of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland for their valuable assistance, and especially Professor Andreas Giacumakatos, who conceived the idea for these events and had overall responsibility for their realization. Lastly, I would like to thank the staff of the H.I.A. and its director Marianna Milioni for the organization and editorial coordination of the publication accompanying the lectures and exhibitions.

Kalogeras, Emeritus Professor, National Technical University of Athens
President of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture

PEKKA HELIN

Born in 1945, is head of a large and highly professional architectural firm in Helsinki, which has been operating since 1999. He studied at the renowned Helsinki University of Technology (Otaniemi campus), and from 1979 to 1999 collaborated with Tuomo Siitonen. Among other works, Helin has designed the new wing of the Finnish Parliament, the Ministry of Health buildings in Helsinki, the Nokia headquarters complex in Keilaniemi, the airport terminal in Jyväskylä, the Kakolanmäki area in Turku, the Rosendal Science Park in Uppsala, Sweden, the Fornebu redevelopment project (former airport site) in Oslo, Norway, as well as a range of residential complexes across Scandinavia and even South Korea. Helin has won at least 35 first prizes in Finnish and international architectural competitions.

His work has been widely published, and he has presented lectures across Europe, the United States, and Japan. His architectural style is characteristic of technologically and constructively “good design”, operating within an internationalist framework, and is flexible enough to adapt ingeniously, without apparent compromises, to the specific requirements of each project and client. This architecture resonates with an audience well-trained in a broadly diffused high-standard modern aesthetic.