Additional information

95 pine tree trunks are used as structural pillars in the Little-Finlandia building near Töölö Bay, Helsinki. This building showcases pine trunks having visible limbs and smoothed surfaces to support the structure. These Little-Finlandia pine trees are the inspiration behind a series of relief prints produced for The Trees of Little-Finlandia exhibition – on display at the Little-Finlandia Cafe during Helsinki Design Week this upcoming September. This exhibition is supported by Aalto University with the Designs for a Cooler Planet program.

The exhibition showcases over twenty different relief prints of pine tree cross sections – all ranging in size, age, and annual growth patterns. These qualities are depicted using black ink that is hand-embossed onto white paper, to resemble each pine tree’s individual ‘finger-print’. What is more, these prints are made from the same tree trunks that are used in Little-Finlandia’s construction!

The Trees of Little-Finlandia convey the unique marriage between the architectural tree elements, interior space, and artwork – all centered around the qualities of Finnish pine trees. Onlookers can observe a spectrum of natural qualities from the building’s pine pillars and tree-ring prints. As such, people may draw new connections towards wooden manufacturing, architecture, and the visual arts – all merging under the theme of ecological and environmental wooden materiality.