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The Metaphorical World of Kalevala and its Influence on Architecture in Finland

Part 2 Dissertation 2015
Mirja-Anneli Kiviniemi
 Robert Gordon University | UK
While writing about Finnish National Romantic architects, historian Kenneth Frampton claims that “the basic inspiration behind all their work was the Finnish folk epic, the Kalevala”. Kalevala is often associated with the work of influential Finnish architects yet the world behind the name is not understood; what is the connection between folk poems and architecture?

The runes of Kalevala were written down in 1835 by Elias Lönnrot yet they have been sung for centuries. They include a strong description of the characteristics of Finnish people and scenery; passed on from generation to generation, the poems illustrate the life of our ancestors, their habits and beliefs as well as their attitudes towards built environment.

This dissertation aims to open the world of Kalevala to the readers and shed light on its important role in the history of Finland and its architecture. It is a discussion of primal, almost unconscious, attitudes towards built environment which are strongly linked to the Nordic region and landscape. Furthermore, the study introduces a concept of “Cultural and Aesthetic DNA”, according to which people carry within them certain “DNA” of their region. It is about understanding Finland’s history, understanding its cultural roots and therefore, understanding its architecture.

Mirja-Anneli Kiviniemi
Tutor(s)
David McClean
2015
Karelian rune singers photographed by Into Konrad Inha in 1894
Blind Miihkali Arhippainen was one of the last rune singers passing the traditions on in the form of a song; photograph by Into Konrad Inha in 1894
The respect towards the runes of Kalevala still remains strong; bronze sculpture of Elias Lönnrot by Emil Wikström, Helsinki, 1902
The poems of Kalevala have strongly influenced different art forms in Finland; The Defence of Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896
The Forging of the Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1893
The poems of Kalevala embarked a movement called Karelianism during which Finnish architects looked towards the building traditions of Karelia, the birthplace of Karelia
A few decades later, Alvar Aalto also expressed interest in the Karelian traditions; the ‘tupa’ of Villa Mairea compared to a traditional ‘tupa’ of a Karelian house
Architect Anthony Antoniades believes that national epics can reveal the roots of architecture in a certain region; Antoniades’ sketches of connection between building forms and poems of Kalevala
Hvitträsk designed by Eliel Saarinen has many connections to Karelian building traditions and attitudes towards built environment found from the poems of Kalevala
The runes of Kalevala give us clues about the roots of the Finnish culture, including architecture; painting by Nicolai Kochergin
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