Aalto Festival is back again, showcasing the talents of Aalto University students, graduates and faculty. Aalto Festival 2016 will be held during the second fortnight of May in many premises in Helsinki and Espoo at the same time. The opening ceremony of Aalto Festival 2016 will be held on Tuesday May 17th at 17:30 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki.

Aalto Festival is full of events, seminars and exhibitions showcasing the talents of Aalto University students, graduates and faculty for both Aalto community and the citizens of Helsinki and Espoo. This year, Aalto Festival offers over 60 different kinds of experiences, bringing out different fields and multidisciplinary expertise of the university. The versatile Aalto Festival programme is sure to have something for everyone.

After our exhibition Final Works – An Architecture Exhibition for 2015 edition, for this edition Group X is offering the next two events:

ATLAS, lecture by Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano, from Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, Alvar Aalto Medal 2015: April 27th (pre-event), 18:00, Otakaari 1X, hall A1. Lecture will be in English.

The jury commented as follows: “The work of Nieto and Sobejano demonstrates how an architect’s cultural background can inspire architecture of outstanding quality and expressive power. Nieto and Sobejano’s work has a primal energy ranking it among the world’s most compelling statements and groundbreaking achievements in architecture.”

Final Review of Typological Hybridizations with estudio Herreros: May 24th, 09:00-14:00, Miestentie 3, seminar room 220.

Typological Hybridizations is a Master’s level Building Design studio course held at the Department of Architecture during the spring semester 2016. The course aims at researching the techniques –models and methods– of how we think and develop large urban projects –complex hybrids of high programmatic density– that intend to re-locate the gravity centers of our cities.

Students have worked in the north side of Vuorimiehentie street, called Mountain Man Block (‘Vuorimiehen kortteli’), with a hybrid program including a student centre, a bio innovation house with offices and laboratories, other working spaces, commercial services, housing and parking.

The studio course has been organized as a collaboration between Group X at the Department of Architecture and estudio Herreros, the prestigious Madrid-based architecture office run by Juan Herreros and Jens Richter, who will both take part in the final review. The event will be held in English.