ALA Architects Practice (Susanna Santala; Garret Publications 2023) is the first-ever comprehensive monograph of the first 20 years of the acclaimed Helsinki-based architectural office.
Sweltering late summer of 2004, Helsinki: four young architects are kicked out of a co-working space for being too loud, getting worked up about a museum competition in Kotka, Finland. Retiring to a nearby bar to continue the conversation, a decision is made to set up a practice where loudness is encouraged. Twenty years later ALA still works by combining quiet grinding with big ideas, and dialogue with digital craftsmanship.
ALA Architects Practice brings together the firm’s main built works and the thinking behind them. The highlighted projects include ALA’s breakthrough project, Kilden Performing Arts Centre; Helsinki Central Library Oodi, one of the most important public libraries of the 21st century; and the friendly new face of Helsinki Airport.
The book, beautifully designed by Studio Mathias Clottu, gives an inspiring perspective to the versatility, yet ambitious and quality-wise uncompromising line of thought in ALA’s architectural production. The project team for the book at ALA has included Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki and Samuli Woolston with Thomas Miyauchi and Essi Rautiola. The insightful text is by Susanna Santala.
