Erik Kråkström Exhibition, Finland, 2009, Building, Project, News, Design
Erik Kråkström Architecture Exhibition
Museum of Finnish Architecture – 2009 Programme, Finland, Europe
NEW EXHIBITIONS AT THE MUSEUM OF FINNISH ARCHITECTURE
23 Sep – 29 Nov 2009
ERIK KRÅKSTRÖM : ARCHITECT AND CULTURE FIGURE
Small hall
Erik Kråkström
(1919–2009)
photo : MFA
22 Sep 2009
Erik Kråkström Exhibition
Also known for his skills in drawing and painting, architect, professor Erik Kråkström (1919-2009) established an architectural office in 1950. His output includes several restorations, such as the Naval Barracks complex in Helsinki, designed by C. L. Engel in the early 19th century, rebuilt and extended for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1973-89).
He designed numerous schools and residential buildings as well as industrial establishments, for instance Finlan’d first nuclear power plant in Loviisa (1977). In addition to building design tasks, he had various town planning commissions.
Producer: Museum of Finnish Architecture
Museum of Finnish Architecture
Kasarmikatu 24, 00130 Helsinki
tel. (358 9) 8567 5111
Erik Kråkström Exhibition
Erik Kråkström (22.9.1919–13.1.2009) had an architect’s career spanning over four decades. It started at the time of the boom of Finnish Modernism in the 1950s and continued to the end of the 80s. He also painted and drew all his life and was influential in Finnish cultural life through his numerous positions of trust.
Town Plan for the Centre Area of Helsinki, Finland
1954
Erik Kråkström with Yrjö Lindegren
photo : Kolimio
Kråkström set up a private office in 1950. His oeuvre comprises housing, offices and industrial buildings as well as schools, churches and restorations. He also had numerous town planning tasks. Among his remarkable industrial buildings are those that were built between 1955 and 1991 for the Kaukas Company in Lauritsala, Lappeenranta, and Finland’s first nuclear power plant, completed in Loviisa in 1977.
Kråkström’s last restoration task is the Naval Barracks complex in Katajanokka, Helsinki, originally built to Carl Ludvig Engel’s designs in 1816–38, which together with a new extension was completed in 1989 and serves as the premises of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
In 1949 Erik Kråkström, together with Yrjö Lindegren, won the town planning competition for the centre area of Helsinki and after the latter’s death in 1952, finished the plan. It served as a partial basis even for Alvar Aalto’s later plan for central Helsinki. Kråkström’s other town plans include the Lähderanta housing area in Espoo, which he designed in collaboration with Ahti Korhonen in 1961–64.
Industrial Buildings for the Kaukas Company, Lauritsala, Lappeenranta, Finland
1955–91
photo : Jalmari Aarnio (Erik Kråkström collection / MFA)
Through his world-wide acquaintanceship, Erik Kråkström furthered the international networking of Finnish architects. He was keenly interested in professional policies and was chairman of the Finnish Association of Architects in the 1960s. He also held several memberships and chairmanships in various national and municipal committees dealing with architecture and art.
Kråkström’s designs have been displayed in several touring exhibitions of Finnish architecture and they have been published in architectural magazines in Finland and abroad. He received several public honours, lastly the Artium Cultori Medal awarded by the Arts Council of Helsinki Metropolitan Region in 2007.
We thank Anna Paulina Eklöf for collaboration.
The exhibition is produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
Botby Swedish Secondary School, Helsinki, Finland
1967
photo : Pietinen
Erik Kråkström Exhibition – works on display:
Villa Stenman, Pedersöre 1948
Pedersöre Church, Restoration 1950, 1985
Sulva School, Mustasaari 1951
Town Plan for the Centre Area of Helsinki 1954
Industrial Buildings for the Kaukas Company, Lauritsala, Lappeenranta 1955–91
Lähderanta Housing Area, Espoo 1961–64
Swedish School of Social Science, Helsinki 1963
Kaskinen Church, 1965
Kårkulla Home for Mentally Handicapped People, Housing for Personnel, Parainen, Länsi-Turunmaa 1966
Two-family House, Nokkala, Espoo 1959/67
Botby Swedish Secondary School, Helsinki 1967
Ostrobothnian Musem, Extension, Vaasa 1968
Loviisa Power Plant 1977
Union Bank of Finland, Loviisa 1983
Union Bank of Finland, Tammisaari, Raasepori 1984
Naval Barracks, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Renovation and Extension, Helsinki 1989
Location: Kasarmikatu 24, 00130 Helsinki, Finland, northeast Europe
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Website : www.mfa.fi