Archinfo to host Architecture Focus Day at Habitare Pro
Simone Bossi / Collaboratorio
The architecture-themed day will take place on 11 September as part of Habitare Pro, the professional section of the Nordic region’s leading furniture, design, and interior event.
Held annually since 1970, the Habitare fair will once again take place at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre on 10–14 September. Last year, the event welcomed over 500 exhibitors and 45,000 visitors. This year’s theme is Koskettaa / Touch, and the thematic exhibition is designed by architects Kristiina Kuusiluoma and Martino de Rossi from Collaboratorio.
In addition to showcasing design exhibitions and products, the five-day fair offers a rich programme on multiple stages and in various workshops. Archinfo has curated content for the Architecture Focus Day of Habitare Pro, the section aimed at design and architecture professionals.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Syrian architect, author, and urban thinker Marwa al Sabouni, whose talk will explore the contrasts and similarities between Finland, ‘the world’s happiest country’, and Syria, ranked as the ‘worst place to live in’. What does it mean to keep the city alive, and what is the role of architecture in that mission?
Al Sabouni’s work focuses on cross-studying elements of social understanding, contextual and psychological analysis, and aesthetics in order to bring to the fore the role of architecture as a society-making tool. Based in Homs, Syria, she is the author of The Battle for Home (Thames & Hudson, 2017) and Building for Hope (Thames & Hudson, 2021). She holds a PhD in Islamic architecture and is a sought-after speaker at international events.
Marwa al Sabouni will also take part in a workshop where she will share thoughts with participants and Finnish architect Marco Casagrande, who is active in the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. In addition to leading his own design studio, Casagrande is a university professor in Kharkiv. The workshop will address questions of reconstruction and the potential of architecture to create good environments in the aftermath of destruction.
The day’s programme will also include talks curated by the Alvar Aalto Foundation, focusing on the Aalto Works UNESCO World Heritage nomination. A workshop will be held on identifying and evaluating the universal values of buildings with an introduction of insights from the Pavilion of Finland’s exhibition currently featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which highlights the history and preservation of the Aalto-designed pavilion building. The exhibition was commissioned and produced by Archinfo.
Particularly useful – and fun – for designers, there will also be a speed-dating pitch event for interior and design material brands, as well as professional networking opportunities.
A detailed programme will be published in August. Architecture professionals are warmly invited to register for Habitare Pro as Archinfo’s guest using the code HABIPRO25.
Read more about Habitare Pro here
