Ala Architects

A Helsinki based group of young architects, taking the design world by storm with their new-look Nordic design

- Mridula Sharma

Winning design competitions is the foundation stone upon which the ALA Architects was founded in 2005. Their first project was an international competition for a Performing Arts Centre in Norway. The tradition has continued ever since. Their latest project, the new Oodi Central Library in Helsinki has made them the latest cynosure of world design. Balancing both the worlds, that of green-field design as well as renovations of none other than Ralli and Reima Pietila’s buildings; closer home, they have renovated the Finnish Embassy in New Delhi. In between their hectic schedule of two metro stations recently commissioned, two major openings (Oodi and New Delhi) and the on-going expansion work at Helsinki airport, we snatched a few moments with Ar. Samuli Woolston, one of the principals of the firm.

It is one thing to think out-of-the-box and another to execute a buildings according to that thought. Have you, in any of your projects, felt limited or challenged by construction materials?