At the end of May I was invited to participate in the ”Design Path” workshop 2001 organised by Kainuun Etu Oy and the University of Oulu, in Finland.
I was very pleased with this invitation and looked forward to fly to Kajaani and meet all those people from Finland and all over the world. The program mentioned a presentation of ideas for the use of wood and soapstone. My mind started to generate ideas for the use of these materials. I searched the internet for information about Kajaani. I sent emails to those who could know about the city. I asked Finnish friends in Holland about Kajaani. Most of them spoke about the landscape, the forests, the lakes and the nature.
The workshop took place in the Kaukametsä Congress Centre in Kajaani, Finland, near the river. The first day was spent with lectures, introductions, aNd presentations. My mind was on a different wavelength. I had to find a concept and prepare a presentation within 48 hours according to the program. i went out. It was rainy and warm. I crossed the bridge and walked in the rain. Water was everywhere. I went to the proposed site and other places and looked around.
The idea to work with wood and stone was good but something was missing. I saw trees, rocks and water where ever I looked from the plane when i arrived. now, on the ground, i saw the same. I suddenly realized that Finland was often represented on maps by its forests, rocks and lakes. In other words wood, stone and water.
Finland is famous all over the world for its design and architecture. Wood and stone are important materials for these basic elements of Finnish culture. For water the same is true: just imagine Finland without lakes, without snow and without ice.
So the concept is clear: a proposal for the Design Path Workshop in Kajaani; in the centre of Finland; made of basic Finnish materials (wood, stone and water); realized with the help of traditional and hi-tech Finnish wood and stone-industries; functional, as a place to sit down; and clearly visible as a symbol for Kajaani in 2001 and later.
The concept for the project became Wood, Stone Water. Three words that can be made of wood, stone and water. ”Wood” from different kinds of wood, ”stone” from different kinds of stone and ”water” made of water. For the ”Wood” I suggest to use 4 different kinds of finnish woods: ”koivu”(birch), ”mänty” (fir), ”kuusi” (spruce) and ”haapa” (saunawood). For ”Stone” I prefer 5 different kinds of soapstone. And for ”Water” I suggest a ”Corten” steel construction to get a clearly outlined shape in the ground. This shape should be filled continuously with water from a nearby source, like a little stream.
The ”Wood” is made of roughly sawn treetrunks, cut to size by chainsaw and connected with bolts. No finish, no polish, no paint. The ”Stone” will be made of one piece of soapstone per letter, roughly cut from the quarry, cut to size by a wiresaw. No polish, no special texture, just the cutting signs from the different saws. The ”Water” is made of ”Corten” steelplates, welded together, without bottom.
The proposed project is not small. The letters of the words are all of similar size, all in appropriate dimensions. One can sit on ”Wood” and on ”Stone”. ”Water” will be in the ground. The project should be situated on a nice spot overlooking the city and the river. The size is such that passengers coming to and going from Kajaani can recognize the project from the air.
On a website with information about Kajaani, I found a Finnish flag in the shape of Finland. Kajaani was situated in the middle of the heart of the blue cross. Kajaani was in that way the centre of Finland.
Kajaani is situated between impressive lakes, and even more impressive forests. Nature is everywhere around this city. The proposal offers a nice possibility to sit down and enjoy the surroundings.
The proposal was made with the help of the following persons: Heikki Aranne, Kajaani Art Museum, Kajaani, Ninetta Chaniotou, Kainuun Etu, Kajaani,Irmeli Hanka, City Architect, Kajaani, Kirsi Heikkinen, Kainuun Pirtti Oy, Kajaani, Pirjo Immonen, Kajaani Art Museum, Kajaani, Tervo Koskinen, Puun Syy, Paltamo, Pekka Laakkonen, Kainuu Vocational Institute, Kajaani, Arja Lehikoinen, Tulikivi Group, Juuka, Päivi Mikola, University of Oulu, Oulu, Juha Sivonen, Tulikivi Group, Juuka, Antti Toivanen, Kainuun Etu, Kajaani, Jonker & Wu, Architecture and Cadsupport, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, & All Participants & staff of the Kainuun Etu Workshop 2001.