Visitor from Canada: Owen Rose

Owen Rose is a young Montreal architect who visited Helsinki in September as part of a larger tour including Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. He has developed a particular interest in architecture by asking: "How can contemporary design express our tactile connection to the land and bring us to the sense of place that roots and strengthens our lives together?" Read more about it at his website, www.ecosensual.net

I arrived from Stockholm early on a windy, sunny September morning at the Viking Terminal in Turku. It was the beginning of the Finnish leg of my architectural tour of the four Nordic nations.

My plan was to see the Finnish countryside by train as I headed to Helsinki. Above the 60th parallel, I was and remain impressed by the slow rising and setting angle of the Nordic sun. Although Montreal endures long, cold, and snowy winters, we are at a latitude shared with Bordeaux and Venice. The train took me through a region that could easily have been the five-hour train trip through the Canadian Shield between Montreal and Toronto. Not only did the landscape resemble southern Quebec and Ontario, but the wood-framed constructions of the farms were also similar.

But that was not my initial impression of Finland. One of my first impressions of Finland was at the beginning of my trip in Berlin, when I visited the recently completed Finnish Embassy. Even earlier, the poetic writings of local Helsinki architect Juhani Pallasmaa had been inspiring me for years and formed the beginnings of my motivation to visit Finland.

My train arrived at Eliel Saarinen's train station. I then took a tramway to my hotel. I used Helsinki's wonderful tramway system to explore the city and for the simple pleasure of riding on a mode of public transit that I would love to see installed in Montreal.

Soon after arriving at the hotel, local architect Heikki Kokkonen whisked me off to the historic town of Porvoo to the east of Helsinki. It was my introduction to the wood origins of Finnish architecture.

While touring the architecture, Heikki and I talked about Finnish history and culture. Five million Finns, living on an expanse of Nordic trees, lakes, and rocks, speaking an enchantingly unique language, with a history of resistance against six hundred years of Swedish influence and one hundred of Russian dominance—I was struck by the cultural parallels with Quebec's history and culture.

The city of Helsinki, so influenced by Engel's design in the 19th century, made me often think of Montreal. I did not feel that I was in "old Europe"; rather, I felt that I was visiting a sister city. Montreal first started to develop substantially during the industrial revolution of the 19th century and was heavily influenced by the British Victorian styles of that era. Although Helsinki is not a Victorian city, its historical flavour and climate reminded me of home.

What was different was the architectural consciousness of Helsinki. Not only a city of Aalto monuments, Helsinki also has interesting contemporary design, befitting of Finland designating architecture as its national product. I was there to explore how my Nordic cousins relate their architecture to their culture, landscape, and very present climate.

I was left with one question at the end of my trip: Why are Quebec, Canada, and Finland not in closer contact? It seems to me that both countries can inspire and learn from each other. At the same time as I pose this question, I know that two weeks after my visit, Canada's Governor General visited on a cultural tour. I hope that the contact continues.

By Heikki Kokkonen and Owen Rose

December 03

• Around the world
on two wheels
• A maple leaf in the presidential palace
• A view of manufactured landscapes

• Goodwill Ambassador Jari Kurri
• Finnish-Canadian trainee exchange
• Membership survey
• Canada Day 2003 
• Chairman's update
• Canbits and Finnbits
• Caisa International Fair