How can artists and designers affect the style of a city? “With spontaneity and magic”, say designer and artist Nene Tsuboi and fashion designer Daniel Palillo.

Although traditionally known for its architecture, Finland has recently been more innovative in other creative areas such as fashion and art. We sat down with NENE TSUBOI and DANIEL PALILLO to discuss architecture and urban design in Helsinki from another point of view.

Tsuboi has contributed to the style of the city through architectural projects with NOW for Architecture and Urbanism. She has also designed colourful flags to take over the grey facades of Helsinki. This art project is meant to replicate the urban way of drying laundry outside the windows in Tsuboi’s native Japan. Palillo, on the other hand, shapes the street scene by designing frocks. People all over Helsinki ranging from grannies to teenage boys wear his clothing. Palillo is also a big fan of Austrian painter and architect FRIEDENSREICH REGENTAG DUNKELBUNT HUNDERTWASSER (1928−2000). He was known for his experimental projects in urban environments. “Hundertwasser made his own clothes from what he found on the street,” Palillo says. “He also did projects where people in apartment buildings could paint anything within a meter outside their window.”

Tsuboi finds the spontaneous evolution of places very interesting and enjoys city planning that isn’t too forced. “Walking past Tokoinranta almost every morning, I have noticed an open spot in the middle of the ice full of ducks,” she explains. “One day, the Public Works Department had put up a sign with biological images of ducks as well as information on the species. The place became an official bird-watching spot by accident.” This kind of attitude makes Helsinki a more interesting place. Tsuboi says that one of her urban design projects with NOW was based on the idea of giving people spaces and seeing what kind of places they make out of them. In the same vein, Palillo is planning to turn his backyard in Ullanlinna into a movie theater next summer.

Both Palillo and Tsuboi find the replica hood with its digital clock covering the (usually analogue) clock tower renovation site at Helsinki Central railway station a good solution. What other options are there for dressing up buildings? “Construction sites could vanish in the spirit of DAVID COPPERFIELD’s famous airplane trick where he uses smoke and mirrors to make a plane disappear,” Palillo says. “The City Planning Department should hire some magicians!”

“Being Japanese, I find it interesting how the function of buildings is changed from offices to apartments here without the exterior changing at all,” Tsuboi says. “Looking at Helsinki’s facades, the inside of a building is a mystery, while in Japan, when the function changes, they change the whole building. I like the big sheets outside Ateneum that explain that it’s an art museum. What if more buildings had costumes saying ‘I’m a home for many kids!’ or ‘I’m a hospital!’?” †

Text Anni Puolakka & Jenna Sutela / OK Do Photo Paavo Lehtonen

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OK Do is a creative think-and-do tank tackling emerging questions at the intersection of design, art and science.

Tags:
architecture, arkkitehtuuri, central railway station, city planning, city planning department, daniel palillo, david copperfield, design, helsinki, hundertwasser, kaupunkisuunnittelu, kaupunkisuunnitteluvirasto, nene tsuboi, now for architecture and urbanism, päärautatieasema, public works department, rakennusvirasto, tokoinranta, ullanlinna