The Architecture Day, which marks Alvar Aalto’s birthday on 3rd February, was celebrated with an open seminar and the award ceremony of the prestigious Alvar Aalto Medal at the Helsinki City Hall.

The Architecture Day, which marks Alvar Aalto’s birthday, was celebrated with an open seminar and the award ceremony of the prestigious Alvar Aalto Medal at the Helsinki City Hall. Organized by the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and the Alvar Aalto Foundation, this year’s seminar took an in-depth look at cities and “spaces in between” the formal city structure of the built environment. These public areas, no matter how big or small, can be unofficial and important gathering spots of a neighborhood. Director Matevz Celik from Ljubljana discussed recent developments in Ljubljana; architect Lars-Erik Mattila presented a groundbreaking concept for a sustainable and ecological multi-storey house of the future. Architect Marco Steinberg talked about the role of architecture in creating the framework for urban life in the future society.