New online service brings Finnish architecture closer

Finnisharchitecture.fi is the only online service to present Finnish architecture comprehensively across its entire history. The English-language website offers accessible information on buildings and their design backgrounds through texts, images, and map-based browsing. It serves travellers, professionals, students, and anyone interested in Finnish architecture.

The continuously updated database currently includes around 800 selected buildings and sites, most of them located in Finland. In addition, the service features approximately 40 projects designed by Finnish architects abroad, from the west coast of the United States to China and Cambodia.

The oldest buildings date back to the Middle Ages, including Turku Castle and Turku Cathedral, whose construction began in the late 13th century. All subsequent centuries are represented, and from the 20th century onwards the database includes dozens of examples from every decade.

“It is important that reliable information on the long history of Finnish architecture is available and accessible both nationally and internationally. In addition to searching for individual buildings, locations, or designers, visitors can explore expert-curated thematic selections, which makes this service truly unique,” says Petteri Kummala, Head of Research at the Architecture & Design Museum.

While the database spans centuries, there is a strong emphasis on contemporary architecture: one third of the sites are from the 21st century. New entries are largely based on material from Arkkitehti – The Finnish Architectural Review, published by the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA).

“The new sites featured on the platform will become the built heritage of the future, even if we may not yet recognise them as such. Without historical distance, contemporary architecture is harder to place within broader developments. The site’s thematic categorisations – based on building types and materials, among others – offer useful tools for this,” says Kristo Vesikansa, Editor-in-Chief of Arkkitehti.

Participation and features familiar from social media

Finnisharchitecture.fi is based on the Finnish Architecture Navigator, launched by Archinfo in 2016. The renewed service places particular emphasis on usability, including in mobile environments. New technical features also enable the integration of editorial content that deepens thematic perspectives.

“The extensive content produced over the years remains highly valuable, and a modern website makes it easier to explore. The database will continue to grow, and users can now also submit material themselves and propose new additions. Preferences can be expressed through familiar, social-media-style interactions,” says Miina Jutila, Head of Communications at Archinfo and lead of the renewal project.

In addition to Kummala, Vesikansa, and Jutila, the project’s steering group included Kalle Euro, Director of the Association of Finnish Architects’ Offices (ATL), and Emmi Jouslehto, Chief Technology Officer of the Architecture & Design Museum. Anna Rusi, Coordinator at Archinfo, also worked on the project. The website was developed by Agency Leroy, and the renewal project was supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland.

The service features nearly 50 projects by Alvar Aalto, Finland’s most internationally renowned architect. The launch takes place on 3 February 2026, the 126th anniversary of Aalto’s birth, celebrated since 2022 as the national Flag Day for Alvar and Aino Aalto and Finnish architecture and design. The launch is part of the nationwide Architecture and Design Days programme.

The service is available at finnisharchitecture.fi.