The winner of the Nordic Lighting Design Award 2020, Helsinki metro stations. From left: Roope Siiroinen, Antti Hiltunen, Paulina Blomström and Marko Kuusisto from VALOA design. Photo: Aino Siiroinen.
Helsinki metro stations honoured with the Nordic Lighting Design Award 2020
Helsinki metro stations project was announced as the winner of the Nordic Lighting Design Award 2020 on a Facebook Live event on May 20th.
The Helsinki metro system’s western extension (Länsimetro) opened in the autumn of 2017 and expanded the metro network from Helsinki to the neighbouring city of Espoo. The 14 km extension has eight new metro stations: Lauttasaari, Koivusaari, Keilaniemi, Aalto University, Tapiola, Urheilupuisto, Niittykumpu, and Matinkylä. Each station has its own identity, which was created by the synergy of architecture, art, and light. Lighting of the station’s public spaces was designed by VALOA design, and the light art installations were created by Tommi Grönlund & Petteri Nisunen (Keilaniemi) and Lighting Design Collective with Helin & Co Architects (Lauttasaari).
“The project is highly innovative – these are not your typical metro stations – yet at the same time visually durable; the jury believes that these environments will also remain pleasant and memorable over time”
Jury further states,
“The lighting is a very well-integrated part of the architecture. There is a great variety among different stations, and yet every station remains within the lighting concept as a whole. Every station is unique but still – even in this huge project – one can see the resemblance between them. Ingenuity best describes this project – the lighting designers have been very successful in developing and applying many different solutions. The jury also very much appreciates how light is used on vertical surfaces and behind glass. This gives the feeling of a larger space and facilitates orientation.”
Helsinki Metro Station Koivusaari - Photo by Kuvio Oy
Helsinki Metro Station Keilaniemi - Photo by Petri Vuorio
“It is a great honour for Finland and the complete team behind the design of the Helsinki metro stations to be awarded the Nordic Lighting Design Award. The award means a lot to us and feels like a well-deserved prize after years of hard work, cooperation, and building the field of lighting design””
Helsinki Metro Station Lauttasaari - Photo by Petri Vuorio
Helsinki Metro Station Tapiola - Photo by Kuvio Oy
“Helsinki metro stations project was a great example of the significance of cooperation of different fields in built environment and the possibilities of integrating lighting into architecture. It is great to see that the final result is appreciated.”
Helsinki Metro Station Koivusaari - Photo by Petri Vuorio
About the award
Nordisk Lyspris or The Nordic Lighting Design Award was created by the Nordic Light Committee in the year 2000. The Nordic Light Committee consists of the following lighting organisations: Dansk Center for Lys in Denmark, Suomen Valoteknillinen Seura in Finland, Ljóstæknifélag Íslands in Iceland, Lyskultur in Norway and Belysningsbranschen in Sweden. The award is handed out biennially and the purpose is to highlight and celebrate the special characteristics of Nordic lighting design.
Jury members
Jury chair: Ourania Georgoutsakou
Denmark: Rune Bugge Jensen
Finland: Ari Peltola
Iceland: Ágúst Gunnlaugsson
Norway: Birgitte Appelong
Sweden: Lars Fredén
The jury members were selected by the lighting organisations in the participating countries.
Contact
Suomen Valoteknillinen Seura
Heikki Härkönen
heikki.harkonen@valosto.com
+358 400 869 339
