Collage: August
A collage is a monthly summary of Olla’s news. The range of August’s news spans from the small to the vast: from learning environments to precious historical details and deep societal issues.
From autumn break to a new school – the first phase of the Oulunkylä primary school expansion is complete
In August, a partial final inspection was held for the expansion of Oulunkylä primary school and the new daycare center, marking the completion of the first phase of the project, which began with a project plan five years ago.
After the autumn break, children will no longer have to admire the new school and its yard from behind construction fences; students will be able to move into the new facilities. At the same time, the second phase of the project will begin, which involves renovating the existing building, with the major change being the expansion of the kitchen and dining hall.
The entire school and daycare complex will be completed next summer, after which Oulunkylä primary school and the Kulkuri daycare center will serve as a learning environment for over 700 children.
Olla is bringing a neo-Renaissance building back to life in Kamppi
Eerikinkatu 4 is a protected neo-Renaissance building designed by architect Theodor Höijer in the center of Helsinki. Olla is planning a renovation of this architecturally and urbanistically significant building, aiming to restore its spaces and details to their original appearance. The renovation will include the construction of attic apartments on the upper floors, and the conversion of a nearly 150-year-old wooden building in the inner courtyard into office space. The construction site on Eerikinkatu has just started, and the project is set to be completed in 2025.
“Architecture is a mirror of the social dialogue” – Olla’s Bratislav Toskovic of Olla is engaged in designing a memorial for a school shooting and highlights the importance of dialogue in architecture
If architecture reflects societal discussions, what does architecture look like when it is meant to symbolize national grief and aid in recovery?
Olla’s lead architect, Bratislav Toskovic, discusses this question in a detailed interview with CorD Magazine, which covers current and significant issues in Southeastern Europe.
Toskovic, who has been an architect in Finland for over 30 years, has recently gained attention in his homeland Serbia. He is part of a multidisciplinary team working on a proposal for a memorial center dedicated to victims of a school shooting. Last year, a tragic shooting at a Belgrade elementary school claimed ten lives. The event has drawn considerable public focus ever since.
The team is developing a proposal for the Serbian government, which will serve as the basis for an upcoming architectural competition to design the memorial center.
“I have been frequently asked what the memorial center will look like,” Toskovic explains. “My answer is that it will look the same as the dialogue that results in its emergence.” Read the full interview here.
