24/06/2026
On 1 September 2026, the Provenance Projected research initiative will host a symposium at Aaltosiilo as part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme. Bringing together leading voices from architecture, heritage, design, and the arts, the event will explore how architectural heritage can be adapted and reused in an era of circularity.
The symposium will feature presentations on the transformation of industrial structures for cultural use, including case studies from Kunstsilo and Aaltosiilo itself. Speakers include Adrian Forty, Uwe Fleckner, Charlotte Skene Catling, and Adam Lowe, among others. The programme will include a drinks reception, a guided tour inside the Silo and a screening of Marina Abramovic’s The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
29/05/2026
From 25-29 May 2026, AaltoSiilo was the centre of a week of workshops, events and public performances as part of the programmes Revitalize Meri-Toppila and Climbing Over Oulu. The international workshop Revitalize Meri-Toppila brought together participants from across Europe for four days of hands-on experimentation focused on adaptive reuse, circular construction and community-led urban transformation. These events reinforce the AaltoSiilo’s role in focusing the debate about sustainable building reuse and the implementation of the Oulu Protocol.
Working within the framework of the Oulu Protocol, participants contributed to the construction of the first spolia structure conceived and designed by Charlotte Skene Catling: the AaltoKioski. Built using concrete spolia generated during the restoration of the Silo and sourced from local demolition sites, the kiosk will serve as a functional symbol of the changes that are happening in Meri Toppila. It’s the start of an ambitious project to make a complete building from spolia to house a sauna, a research centre, public spaces, rooms/studios for innovative thinkers and an open-air cinema/theatre space.
Alongside the construction work, participants designed wooden benches and green interventions for the area surrounding the Silo, while also taking part in community mapping sessions and urban walks through Oulu and Meri-Toppila. The week finished with free public performances by Flow Productions and Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
15/05/2026
Charlotte Skene Catling, Lead Architect of AaltoSiilo, will take part in the second workshop of the international research project Beyond Recovery: Adaptive, Circular, and Energy-Efficient Reuse, held on 19 May 2026 at the Department of Planning, Design, and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome.
AaltoSiilo is contributing to the research as an International Scientific Partner. The workshop will bring together designers, research partners and technical sponsors to present interim findings, examine Italian case studies and exchange lessons learned from the implementation of adaptive reuse projects. A round-table discussion will address key challenges and success factors — both in terms of project design and process — with the aim of informing a set of guidelines for future interventions.
Charlotte’s participation reflects AaltoSiilo’s ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge and best practice in sustainable building reuse, and its role as a point of reference within the broader European conversation on circular and energy-efficient architecture through the Oulu Protocol.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
17/04/2026
On 16 April 2026, AALTOSIILO hosted the announcement of the winners of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Awards, as part of Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture.
The event brought together representatives from the European Commission, the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and a range of architects and institutional partners. It was the first time the awards were announced outside Barcelona, drawing unusual attention to Oulu and to the AALTOSIILO site itself. As one Finnish newspaper noted, “the eyes of the entire architecture industry are now here.”
Two winning projects were selected from 410 nominated works across Europe. The main award went to the renovation of the Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Belgium by AgwA and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck. The Emerging Architecture prize was awarded to Temporary Spaces for the Slovenian National Theatre Drama by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti.
The announcement was followed by a public discussion including Charlotte Skene Catling, Ivan Blasi (Fundació Mies van der Rohe), Jutta Kastner (European Commission), Piia Rantala-Korhonen (CEO, Oulu 2026), Asko Takala (SAFA), Kari Nykänen (City of Oulu) and Dr. Kalle Nuortimo (Oulu University of Applied Sciences).
The event also marked the launch of the “Oulu Protocol”, an ongoing initiative focused on the reuse of concrete spolia in construction. Developed in dialogue with European partners and now backed by the European Commission, the protocol aims to challenge and evolve current legislation around the use of reclaimed concrete.
The recording of the winners’ announcement is available here..
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
13/04/2026
Arctic Everyday Aalto is a podcast from Rovaniemi, the world’s northernmost Alvar Aalto city. Experts, entrepreneurs, and locals explore what Alvar Aalto’s legacy means for Rovaniemi and Finland today. How do Aalto’s buildings shape everyday life, attract visitors, and adapt for the future?
Tuija Seipell interviews Charlotte Skene Catling (Skene Catling de la Peña) and Valentino Tignanelli (Factum Foundation) to learn more about AaltoSiilo’s journey from a derelict wood chip store in a cellulose factory into a vibrant cultural hub and multi-purpose space.
Also listen on Spotify.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
12/04/2026
On the evening of Thursday, 16 April, the AaltoSiilo will host the official announcement of the 2026 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Awards (EUmies Awards) winners, in the categories of Architecture and Emerging — live from Oulu, European Capital of Culture 2026.
A distinguished jury, presided over by Smiljan Radić, has concluded its deliberations after travelling across Europe to visit all finalist works. Following the announcement, there will be a conversation with voices from the European Commission, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture, and the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA).
The event will also be livestreamed on the EUmies Awards YouTube channel, beginning at 16:00 CET / 17:00 EET (Oulu).
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
12/03/2026
We are living in an era of new geopolitical tensions, witnessing the erosion of the last remnants of the welfare state, the expansion of multinational technological infrastructures, and a climate crisis that has become an everyday reality. In this context, the narratives of architecture and its modes of representation need rethinking.
Another Gaze is a seminar that seeks perspectives from outside the dominant architectural discourse. How are we accustomed to looking at architecture? What modes of architectural inquiry receive less attention in universities, museums and publications? How can exhibitions, texts and artistic practices dismantle inherited ways of depicting and seeing? How can practitioners open up new ways of thinking about and defining what we call architecture?
We invite artists, architects, curators, researchers, teachers and students to propose a presentation or other form of contribution. Proposals may be based on curatorial or artistic projects, research-based work, or combinations of these. We especially encourage proposals grounded in critical and feminist theory, decolonial thought, visual studies, and interdisciplinary approaches.
The seminar will take place at Aaltosiilo in Oulu on the 28th of August 2026, and forms part of the Alvar Aalto Week and the Oulu European Capital of Culture 2026 programme. It is supported by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation.
How to propose Submit a 20-minute presentation or other contribution via the form below. Your proposal should include a short introduction of yourself (max. 200 words) and an outline of the themes or questions your contribution addresses, including its format and duration (max. 400 words). The application period runs from 10 March to 10 April 2026. Selected participants will be notified by 30 April 2026.
Participation is free of charge. Participants are responsible for their own travel and other expenses. The seminar will be held in English.
Submit your proposal before 10 April here
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
28/02/2026
Representatives of the UCCN (UNESCO Creative Cities Network) gathered in Oulu on the 28th of February for a meeting of Nordic and Baltic creative cities, featuring a focused visit to AaltoSiilo.
Thirteen cities were represented at the meeting: Gothenburg (Literature), Hamar (Media Arts), Lund (Literature), Norrköping (Music), Oulu (Media Arts), Reykjavik (Literature), Rovaniemi (Architecture), Tallinn (Music), Tartu (Literature), Tukums (Literature), Viborg (Media Arts), Vilnius (Literature) and Östersund (Gastronomy).
The visit was led by Adam Lowe, Director of Factum Arte and Founder of Factum Foundation, and Valentino Tignanelli, Project Manager at AaltoSiilo, who presented the vision, development process and future plans for the site. Discussions centered on the replicability of the AaltoSiilo model for revitalizing industrial heritage as part of a broader network of UNESCO-related activities.
As a former industrial structure reimagined for contemporary cultural use, the site offers a compelling example of how architectural heritage can be transformed into a dynamic platform for creative collaboration and sustainable cultural development. Participants explored how similar approaches could be adapted across other Creative Cities, strengthening cooperation within the Nordic and Baltic UCCN network while promoting innovation rooted in local identity and heritage.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
26/02/2026
Charlotte Skene Catling has presented “AaltoSiilo: Silo Dreaming – A Journey of Revitalisation 1931–2031” at the CONCRETO Academy training seminar, CONCRETO Steppingstone 2026.
The lecture highlighted the Toppila Silo, the first industrial site designed by Alvar Aalto and Aino Aalto. Commissioned in 1929 and completed in 1931 as part of a cellulose factory complex in Oulu’s historic industrial district, the striking concrete structure remains a bold and divisive icon of early modernism.
At the heart of the AaltoSiilo project is the innovative “Oulu Spolia Protocol,” a pioneering reuse strategy that identifies buildings scheduled for demolition and carefully dismantles substantial concrete elements for integration into new constructions. By reframing waste as resource, the initiative positions concrete heritage within the circular economy and advances new models of climate-conscious preservation.
Presented as a living laboratory, the AaltoSiilo project demonstrates how sustainability, science, and art can converge within an industrial monument — enriching Aalto’s legacy and redefining the future of concrete heritage.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
19/01/2026
As Oulu steps into its year as European Capital of Culture 2026, AaltoSiilo continues to take shape as one of its most ambitious legacy projects. Earlier this month, the project was presented at the ‘New European Bauhaus in the North’ seminar at Design Centre, Proto where Valentino Tignanelli, AaltoSiilo Project Manager, shared the story of the Silo’s transformation, from a derelict wood chip store in a cellulose factory into a vibrant cultural hub and multi-purpose space. The seminar was followed by an on-site visit, offering participants a direct experience of the building and its evolving potential.
As Oulu’s long-term legacy project for 2026, AaltoSiilo has been part of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) network since 2024. The NEB brings together sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion, linking the European Green Deal with lived experience and the transformation of places. AaltoSiilo embodies these values through reuse, recycling and careful architectural preservation, demonstrating how existing industrial structures can be adapted in ways that are genuinely sustainable. ‘Concrete’ and ‘sustainable’ are not words that are often used together but Charlotte Skene Catling’s work to develop the Oulu Protocol proves that re-use can be more viable than demolition if linked to planning gains.
The building is still very raw, but it will host its full programme of events. A provisional programme is now available on the Aalto Siilo website, but there is room for it to get fuller and deeper—please sponsor an event or suggest an addition to the calendar! You can also follow updates on Instagram.
The Silo is more than a legacy project—it’s a Brutalist symbol transforming a socially deprived area on the edge of the Arctic Circle, the front line of cultural climate change!
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
05/01/2026
As Oulu begins its year as the European Capital of Culture 2026, we are excited to participate in the ‘New European Bauhaus in the North’ Seminar on Thursday, 15 January 2026 at the Design Centre, Proto.
Valentino Tignanelli, AaltoSiilo Project Manager, will present the Silo’s journey from once-derelict sulphite cellulose factory into a vibrant cultural hub and multi-purpose space. Valentino will also lead a visit to the Silo with seminar participants on the 16th of January.
As Oulu’s legacy project for European Capital of Culture 2026, the AaltoSiilo has been part of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) network since 2024. The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative that bridges the European Green Deal with lived experiences and places, bringing together sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion to transform how we design and experience our built environments.
The Silo embodies NEB values through its remarkable transformation, and how the reuse and recycling of existing buildings can become standard practice, addressing climate change through architecture itself while preserving industrial heritage and creating dynamic spaces for cultural exchange.
Meanwhile, the Silo is almost ready for the full programme of events, exhibition and activities. After dedicating last year’s summer and autumn to restoring the windows, creating the new floors, installing heating systems, finishing façade works and adding new doors, we are now finalising the last steps of the renovations.
A full programme will be shared very soon—watch this space and follow the Instagram to stay up-to-date on all that’s happening! We also warmly invite you to participate to the opening festival of Oulu2026 over the 16th-18th of January, and to the new exhibition ‘Beyond Zero’ (16 January—7 March) at the Design Center, Proto, also a New European Bauhaus partner.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
14/11/2025
SSIBAP per il Restauro | RE RENOVATE 2025 was a two-day international conference promoted by the University IUAV of Venice – SSIBAP Restoration Master and Re Renovate, with Aaltosiilo, part of the Factum Foundation, as one of the organising partners. The event examined innovative restoration practices and renovation strategies for the built cultural environment, addressing climate challenges, material continuity, and contemporary pressures on architectural heritage. Insights from the Oulu experience, previously developed through the August Re Renovate symposium in Oulu-Finland, were presented within the prestigious IUAV Restoration Master (SSIBAP) framework. Among the main speakers was Charlotte Skene Catling, lead architect of Aaltosiilo, who highlighted the project’s role in advancing material continuity and industrial heritage preservation.
The first day featured contributions from the Re Renovate team—Valentino Tignanelli, Pedro Aibéo, and Anna Niemelä—alongside presentations by Piia Rantala-Korhonen, director of Oulu2026; Kasper Karjalainen of the Arctic Construction Cluster; and architect Venanzia Rizzi, reflecting on adaptive reuse within the Aalto industrial complex. Additional perspectives were offered by Pedro Aibéo on community-driven renovation initiatives and through an exhibition from the Oulu School of Architecture and Northern Finland SAFA. International partners enriched the discourse with case studies from JK Associateson post-seismic reconstruction in Nepal; Costanza Blaskovic of Factum Foundation, who presented innovative digital and technological restoration tools; Hana Laššová of Trenčín2026 on public-space transformation; and Elisabetta Nervi and Cristiana Chiorino, who discussed training and conservation efforts linked to Pier Luigi Nervi’s legacy.
The second day focused on the European Capitals of Culture, bringing together Stojan Pelko (GO!2025 Nova Gorica), Piia Rantala-Korhonen (Oulu2026), and Stanislav Krajci (Trencín2026). Moderated by Saša Dobricic of the University of Nova Gorica, the session explored cultural climate change, urban development, and heritage-centered policy-making. This was followed by European case studies from Nikolaos Skoutellis (Technical University of Crete), Pierre-Antoine Gatier (Chief Architect and Inspector of Historical Monuments, France), and Francisco Javier Gallego Roca (University of Granada), who highlighted exemplary restoration approaches across Greece, France, and Spain.
The SSIBAP afternoon session showcased advanced research from the Restoration Master’s program, with presentations by Elisa Mantovani on the UNESCO MAB Veneto Po Delta, Francesca Campagnoli on traditional architectural conservation in Bahrain, and Elisabeth Steinberger on comparative restoration methodologies between St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The conference concluded with a round table moderated by Pedro Aibéo and Margherita Vanore, discussing the role of built heritage in shaping a sustainable future.
We warmly thank the IUAV team and all organisers for enabling such a meaningful and internationally significant gathering.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
24/10/2025
Following the success of its inaugural symposium in Oulu, Finland in August 2025, Re Renovate returns for its second edition in Venice, bringing together leading architects, researchers, cultural producers, and policymakers to challenge conventional approaches to architectural conservation and renovation.
Held at the historic Palazzo Badoer, Università Iuav di Venezia, the two-day symposium coincides with the closing of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 and is co-organised by Factum Foundation, AaltoSiilo and Gamified Cohousing with the School of Advanced Studies in Architectural Heritage and Landscape (SSIBAP) of Università Iuav di Venezia.
The symposium will inform the development of new guidelines for participatory renovation, to be finalised and published during Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture. The initiative will continue its trajectory towards Évora, Portugal, European Capital of Culture 2027, building a lasting network of innovation across Europe’s cultural capitals.
The symposium will be live-streamed and recorded for wider accessibility, which will subsequently be guaranteed by a podcast and publication curated by Architectural Democracy.
Read the press release: English | Italian
Read the full programme
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
24/10/2025
During their last weeks of their internship, the OSAO students have been building the floor of Bay 1 using reclaimed bricks from the demolition process and nearby construction sites. The students are experimenting with unique patterns and testing various techniques, turning the building into a hands-on learning platform.
The new concrete floor of the main space has now been successfully poured on top of the underfloor heating pipes, marking a major milestone in creating a space that will accommodate all the events planned for Oulu 2026.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
06/10/2025
AaltoSiilo, Oulu’s legacy project for its year as European Capital of Culture 2026, has partnered with the HouseEurope! European Citizens’ Initiative to advocate for renovation and transformation over demolition across the EU.
The AaltoSiilo exemplifies the initiative’s core principles. Originally designed by Alvar Aalto in 1931 as a sulphite cellulose factory, the derelict industrial building is demonstrating the enormous potential of existing structures. HouseEurope! is collecting one million signatures from EU citizens to propose new legislation making renovation the norm rather than the exception. The initiative calls for tax reductions on renovation works, fair assessment rules for existing buildings, and recognition of embedded CO2 in existing structures.
As part of the New European Bauhaus network, the AaltoSiilo partnership with HouseEurope! brings together cultural heritage, sustainability, and direct democracy. EU citizens can support the initiative by voting online HERE until the campaign closes. If successful, the European Commission will be required to examine the proposal and initiate discussion at the highest political level, potentially transforming how Europe approaches its building stock renovation goals for 2050.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
29/09/2025
From the 29th of September to the 5th of October, Rovaniemi celebrated the Alvar Aalto Jubilee Year under the theme “Arctic Everyday Wave”, inviting us to see beauty and function as part of daily life, not just in grand moments, but in every room, every street, and every moment of light.
The Aaltosiilo project took center stage in Lappia Hall, the iconic theatre and congress venue of the Aalto Centre. The presentation by Lead Architect Charlotte Skene Catling and Project Manager Valentino Tignanelli brought the bold vision behind the AaltoSiilo’s transformation to an international audience, inspiring dialogue around heritage, adaptation, and the future of architecture in the Arctic.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
25/09/2025
The AaltoSiilo’s transformation continues to gain momentum. Over the 26-27 September, Valentino Tignanelli presented the project at Eurocities Culture Forum 2025 in Brno, Czech Republic, sharing the stage with leading European initiatives in sustainability and community engagement. The AaltoSiilo is now featured in their digital catalogue.
Progress on-site is accelerating: ground floor insulation is complete, electrical connections are underway, and the meticulously renovated windows are nearly finished, with first installations imminent. This week also brought together key members of our team: Head Engineer Seppo Mäkkinen conducted a comprehensive structural review, while Lead Architect Charlotte Skene Catling traveled from London to assess progress, engage with restoration students from OSAO Vocational School, and present internship certificates on behalf of Skene Catling de la Peña Studio and Factum Foundation.
Each step brings us closer to reimagining this industrial landmark as a catalyst for cultural and environmental change!
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
05/09/2025
These past weeks have marked significant milestones in the renovation process, with several major visits and events.
On 5 September, 80 delegates from the European Capitals of Culture network visited Meri-Toppila to know more about the AaltoSiilo’s history, renovation and upcoming cultural programme in preparation for Oulu European Capital of Culture 2026.
Finnish architect and Aalto heritage expert, Tapani Mustonen also delivered an insightful presentation on September 15 to OSAO students about the history and renovation of Alvar Aalto Studio in Helsinki.
Meanwhile, the renovation advances steadily: fuel pit filling has concluded, ground floor concrete slabs have been removed for reuse, and a non-original brick wall demolished. The main entrance canopies have been removed for restoration, whilst excavation work for floor levelling and drainage is now complete. OSAO students have also begun creating new window pieces to replace some non-restorable ones.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
01/09/2025
As autumn approaches in Meri-Toppila, momentum is building towards Oulu 2026 and on 11 August 2025, the first week of phase two of the Aalto Siilo renovations officially began.
All windows were removed to begin their restoration: once completed, natural light will flow back into the building after decades. This exciting progress is being led with great care by restoration students from OSAO Vocational School, under the expert coordination of the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. The collaboration with OSAO is made possible through the OSAO Kulttuuriagentti programme of Oulu2026.
At the same time, LTM-Rakennus Oy and VP Purku are lifting the silo’s worn-out concrete floor to make way for a safer and more functional new one. Slabs of concrete from the floor and bricks from the walls were carefully removed, selected and stored for future re-use. HVAC engineers have also inspected the heating and air systems,
Big changes are underway! Follow the weekly restoration updates on the Instagram!
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
12/08/2025
This episode of Tall Stories focuses on the renovation work by Skene Catling de la Peña, the future of AaltoSiilo in the context of Oulu2026, and the building’s potential impact at the community level in Oulu.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
11/08/2025
Monday 11 August was a big day for AaltoSiilo as the next phase of the building work began. Last weekend, the Silo hosted its first paying event: a sold-out concert all about “the unfinished” — both in content and in setting. In the rugged atmosphere of the still-renovating AaltoSiilo, local composer Lauri Marjakangas presented his contribution to a “musical chain letter,” a piece that began its journey in June at Sysmä’s Suvisoitto Festival and continued from Oulu directly to Rauma Festivo.
This first paying event to take place inside the Silo was a total success, drawing a full house. Marjakangas’ task was to pick up the musical thread from the previous composer and then send the “letter” forward after the festival. The theme of incompleteness was also explored through J. S. Bach’s famous final fugue from The Art of Fugue.
According to a well-known urban legend, Bach died while writing this unfinished fugue — but a recently published study offers a compelling alternative theory. Was the unfinished ending intentional? And could Bach have been the original father of the chain letter idea? The evening’s performers — Lina Leikola (violin), Elina Vähälä (violin), Atte Kilpeläinen (viola), Anna Westerlund (cello) and Maria Krykov (double bass) — brought the space to life with a programme featuring Marjakangas’ Ketjukirjeen osa (world premiere), Bach’s Contrapunctus 1 and 14 from The Art of Fugue, and Marjakangas’ Jussin Mikon polska (2025). It also proved that the acoustics in the Silo are remarkable — so much so that there was some concern they might over-amplify percussion.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
04/08/2025
The first edition of the Re Renovate Symposium is officially over!
We extend our sincere thanks to all participants, speakers, partners, and site visit hosts for their hard work, valuable insights, and engaging conversations that made this event a true success.
The future of architectural practice lies in the reuse and revitalisation of existing buildings, and in improving the legislation that shapes them. Over three days of thoughtful discussions, presentations, and case study visits, we explored the ongoing obstacles, emerging trends, and where innovation in renovation is truly headed—particularly in project management and new ways to engage with non-traditional initiatives.
Our conversation doesn’t stop here. The insights from our discussions in Oulu will be featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale, in collaboration with the IUAV University of Venice – SSIBAP, on 13 November, 2025.
A special thank you to Mayor Ari Alatossava for welcoming us to Oulu City Hall, along with city officials from the departments of art and culture.
The Re Renovate activities wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of Parmaco Oy, JK Associates, Lukkaroinen Arkkitehdit Oy, and Proto Ry.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
30/07/2025
This feature by MTV Katsomo (30 July 2025 – Finland) covers AaltoSiilo with interviews of Valentino Tignanelli, project manager based in Oulu and Anna Niemelä, Aaltosiilo expert and producer of Re-Renovate symposium. The piece highlights the current renovation efforts led by the Factum Foundation, as well as past cultural events aimed at revitalising Alvar and Aino Aalto’s first industrial complex. The goal is to prepare the building for its opening during Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture in 2026.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
17/07/2025
We have never been this direct in the way we ask for support, but the time has come — we need your help.
We invite you to be part of an initiative that is gaining momentum, to ensure that we can move at the speed this project demands. The AaltoSilo is transforming rapidly, but we need to make a real push to ensure it is operational by 2026, when Oulu is the European Capital of Culture. Factum Foundation (with significant support from one person) has funded the transformation to date but we still need to raise 200,000 euros to make this happen before the winter sets in in Oulu.
In 2020, Factum Foundation took over Alvar Aalto’s first industrial building — a wood-chip silo in Oulu, on the edge of the Arctic Circle — to stop it from being demolished. Since then, a team led by Charlotte Skene Catling and Valentino Tignanelli has worked with the city, local universities, and other cultural organisations to save the building and reimagine its future.
There have already been remarkable events in the building — with Israel Galván dancing two years ago in a spectacular performance with the Screaming Men of Oulu. For 2026, we are planning a programme we hope will become legendary. A full schedule will be released in the autumn, but we can reveal it includes:
– a functioning ice sauna by Snowhow Oy;
– an exhibition by Marina Abramović;
– a presentation of Schwitters’ Ursonate performed by William Kentridge;
– a performance of ‘Black Square’, a play by Richard Strange with a concert by his band The Doctors of Madness;
– many other events being finalised that we are not quite ready to announce yet.
Assuming we can get the building into the state required for the events and exhibitions in 2026, from 2027 onwards the Silo will become a legacy project for the city — leading the transformation of Meri-Toppila, one of the poorest parts of Oulu and home to many refugees from countries recently afflicted by war, including Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. The Silo is the catalyst and focus on this change.
Please support the AaltoSiilo — we need to raise 200,000 euros by the end of August. Everyone’s generosity will be acknowledged!
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
27/06/2025
From 1-3 August in Oulu, the Re Renovate Symposium 2025 will gather leading professionals, researchers, and policymakers to address the urgent challenges and emerging opportunities in architectural renovation.
Among distinguish speakers and guests are:
Organised by Aaltosiilo Ry, Factum Foundation, and Gamified Cohousing Oy, the symposium rethinks renovation not just as a technical solution but as a cultural, environmental, and social opportunity. Over three days of guided site visits, expert talks, interactive workshops, and networking events, participants will explore strategies for reimagining the built environment — from modular construction to support renovation, and sustainable policy reform to participatory design approaches.
Re Renovate is a growing platform for rethinking how Europe renovates. It bridges architecture, design, innovation, and policy through events, research, and exhibitions. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, connecting local case studies with global insights, and contributing to a culture of sustainable transformation, Re Renovate supports a renewed vision for the built environment.
This landmark event marks Finland’s active role in the New European Bauhaus and the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme. The event will inform a publication to be launched at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 and followed by a second symposium in Oulu in 2026.
Featuring contributions from institutions such as Aalto University, and the University of Venice, alongside partners including the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), BusinessOulu, Lukkaroinen Architects, JK Associates, Parmaco Oy, and Proto–Designers of Northern Finland, Re Renovate 2025 is a launchpad for a growing international network dedicated to renovation innovation.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
23/06/2025
On 16–17 June, Valentino Tignanelli, Project Manager at Aaltosiilo, participated in the UNESCO Expert Meeting on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urban Contexts, held in Paris. As one of 30 experts representing global UNESCO regions, he presented the Aaltosiilo project to an audience of government officials, museum directors, architects, anthropologists, and community engagement consultants. His presentation highlighted the importance of community involvement in transforming post-industrial spaces and is expected to contribute to shaping upcoming UNESCO ICH policy guidelines to recognise and include post-industrial heritage.
Following meetings with staff members of the European Parliament in Brussels, Aaltosiilo Ry is currently exploring collaborations and opportunities with several EU partners, including the Creative Europe Programme (CREA) and the Architects’ Council of Europe. Academic support is also expanding, with the University of Oulu confirming their participation in forthcoming workshops under the Erasmus+ BIP framework.
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Archinfo recently showcased Aaltosiilo as a flagship example of New European Bauhaus (NEB) implementation in Finland, during an event announcing the New European Bauhaus Facility – a new funding instrument for NEB projects.
As Oulu prepares for its 2026 European Capital of Culture year, we are proud to see the AaltoSiilo increasingly emerging as a central platform for connecting heritage, innovation, and policy on a European scale.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
02/06/2025
Dear friends, collaborators, and community members,
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who took part in the creation of the AINO AALTO Pop-Up Park. Your energy, creativity, and dedication marked a true milestone for the Aaltosiilo project and Meri-Toppila neighbourhood.
This initiative was about more than building a space — it was about building connections. Together, we transformed an underused area into a vibrant co-design hub, using reclaimed materials and collective imagination. With 70 volunteers from 15 different nationalities, and coordinators from all over Europe, your efforts brought Meri-Toppila to life through shared experiences, heritage walks, site-specific activities, and hands-on learning. You returned the scent of wood and the sound of making to the Aalto-designed silo for the first time in 50 years.
This pop-up park is also a long-overdue homage to Aino Aalto, whose vital contributions to the Aalto design legacy have too often been overshadowed. Honouring her in this space was both symbolic and necessary — and none of it would have been possible without you.
As we move towards Oulu 2026 – European Capital of Culture – we look forward to continuing this journey with you and repeating this experience with even more energy, care, and collaboration next year.
– Valentino Tignanelli, Project Manager at AaltoSiilo
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
26/05/2025
This week, the AaltoSiilo is transforming the neighbourhood of Meri-Toppila into a hub of creativity and community. Supported by Oulu2026 and several European partners, the “Revitalize Meri-Toppila” workshop is bringing together students, professionals, artists, and local residents to co-design and build a Pop-Up Cultural Park that will remain open throughout the summer 2025 in what used to be an unused car park next to the silo.
Over 50 participants from Finland, France, the UK, and Latvia are working side by side with local residents and international architects on designs developed over several months of online collaboration. The structures are being built on-site using reclaimed materials. The workshop also includes architecture walks, seminars and creative workshops, and a final day festival on 31 May featuring music, dance, and a surprise performance.
AaltoSiilo Ry wishes to thank all our partners and supporters: Oulu2026, Flow Productions, Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde, Art Academy of Latvia, Kulttuuri Valve, OSAO Vocational School, University of Oulu, FABULA, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville, KiertoKaari, and Copukka The Nook.
Together, this international and local collaboration brought new life to Meri-Toppila, demonstrating the power of community, creativity, and cultural heritage and the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, community, and creativity.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
22/05/2025
On 22 May 2025, the Finnish ambassador’s residence in Madrid hosted a promotional event highlighting Oulu2026 and VisitOulu. Organised in collaboration with the Instituto Iberoamericano de Finlandia, the Embassy of Finland in Madrid, and other key partners, the evening gathered a select group of journalists, cultural influencers, and travel media representatives.
Charlotte Skene Catling, lead architect of the AaltoSiilo project and co-founder of Skene Catling de la Peña, was invited to present the AaltoSiilo initiative. Her talk highlighted the origins of the project, its milestones since 2020 as a core legacy project of Oulu2026, and its selection as a New European Bauhaus partner. She also unveiled the upcoming cultural and architectural programming planned as part of Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2026.
The evening was hosted in close collaboration with Finland’s Ambassador to Spain, Sari Rautio, and Piia Rantala-Korhonen, CEO of Oulu2026. The event highlighted the Oulu’s creative vision and the importance of international partnerships in promoting the city as a cultural destination ahead of its European Capital of Culture year.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
19/05/2025
On May 8, 2025, AaltoSiilo proudly hosted the opening excursion of the “New European Bauhaus in Northern Finland” seminar, organised in collaboration with Archinfo and Design Centre Proto. This event brought together visionaries to explore the integration of NEB principles in the unique context surrounding one of the latest NEB partners in Finland.
The day began with a guided tour of the AaltoSiilo in Meri-Toppila, highlighting our commitment to preserving industrial heritage through sustainable and innovative design. Discussions continued at Design Centre Proto, where participants heard insights from Hanna Savolainen & Susanna Sivonen (Design Centre Proto), Aleksi Lohtaja (Archinfo), Valentino Tignanelli (Aaltosiilo RY / Factum Foundation), Henrika Pihlajaniemi “Art of Darkness- Horizon project” (University of Oulu) and Marika Ikäläinen (The Regional Council of Lapland).
We thank everyone for participating in this event, and explored with us the transformative power of architecture and design in fostering sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful communities.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
14/04/2025
Join us for a transformative community event! This May, we’re activating the neighbourhood through participatory co-design and cultural collaboration in the Meri-Toppila neighbourhood, as part of the AaltoSiilo’s restoration project. Join us for a week of workshops guided by professionals, urban walks and shaping the future of Meri-Toppila.
Dates: May 26-31, 2025
Location: Meri-Toppila, Oulu
Everyone is welcome—students, artists, neighbours, cultural enthusiasts, and anyone passionate about shaping a community. We’ll merge the community’s vision with innovative design to create meaningful place-making experiences. The workshops are free and materials will be provided.
On May 31st, a Closing Festival will showcase the results through pop-up structures made from recycled materials, and celebrate with live performances around the AaltoSiilo by Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde and Flow Productions.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
04/04/2025
The Design Centre Proto in Oulu is hosting an event to explore the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative in a Northern context. This event, organised by Archinfo, Design Centre Proto, and AaltoSiilo Ry / Factum Foundation, offers a unique opportunity for NEB stakeholders and enthusiasts to connect, exchange ideas, and discuss the future of NEB in Northern Finland and beyond.
Participants will visit the AaltoSiilo, the latest NEB partner in Finland. The site offers “an iconic space where sustainability, climate change and the mix between science and art have a role to play in the spirit of New European Bauhaus”.
The programme includes discussions on NEB’s role in the region, with speakers from the University of Oulu, Archinfo, and more. A workshop in the Pikisaari area and a networking session with cocktails will follow.
– Date: May 8th 14:00–18:00
– Location: Design Centre Proto, Pikisaarentie 17, Oulu, Finland
– Register here until the end of April
Don’t miss this chance to be part of a transformative dialogue on the future of sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful built environments in Europe! More information on Archi Info
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
28/03/2025
The second phase of the AaltoSiilo restoration will begin this summer, and we are thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new initiative: the Aalto Talkoot.
As part of the Kulttuuriagenti programme at OSAO vocational school, students will collaborate with local professionals from the Meri-Toppila neighbourhood to restore, maintain, and repair key elements of the AaltoSiilo. OSAO instructors Tiia Tulus and Jorma Vesa will oversee the students’ work, which will include restoring the original windows, making new doors and working on the preservation of the floors and walls.
The second restoration phase aims to get the Silo’s ground floor open and ready for the Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture celebrations, with a new series of events that will be announced very soon.
In Finland, “Talkoot” refers to a community-driven effort where people come together to do work that benefits the local community, often by building something needed by everyone. This collaboration with OSAO not only exemplifies Factum Foundation’s learning-by-doing approach to heritage preservation but also aligns with the New European Bauhaus principles—Sustainability, Aesthetics, and Inclusion—and aims to serve as a pilot project for even larger, neighbourhood-wide transformations in the future.
Stay tuned for more details and follow the journey of this talkoot-driven restoration project!
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
22/03/2025
As the second phase of the AaltoSiilo renovation progresses, there is an increasing need for solutions related to ventilation, heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
In collaboration with TU Delft and Professor Atze Boerstra, we recently visited the ongoing restoration of two Alvar Aalto-designed buildings in Rovaniemi: the Rovaniemi City Hall (1986) and the Rovaniemi Public Library (1965).
It’s fascinating to observe how integrated HVAC systems have always been an essential part of Aalto’s designs and to consider the valuable lessons we can apply to the future stages of the AaltoSiilo renovation.
A special thanks to Arkkitehdit Mustonen Oy for allowing us to visit their renovation project, and to the City of Rovaniemi Cultural Services for contributing to the informative session.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
01/03/2025
As part of Oulu 2026’s European Capital of Culture preparations, the AaltoSiilo welcomed its first round of international press visits for 2025. Cultural writers from Madrid, Frankfurt and Berlin were shown around the site to see the latest progress on the Silo’s transformation, which just ended its first phase of renovations.
If you are a journalist interested in covering the Silo in your next story, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Representatives from the Insomnia Festival also visited the Silo to discuss cultural collaboration between Tromsø (Norway) and Oulu (Finland). For more information, please refer to their program at insomniafestival.no.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
28/02/2025
Our project was a Key Speaker at the first edition of Oulu2026 Academy. The discussion covered past and future events, collaborations, and technology for hybrid events, and took place at the Valve Cultural Center for an audience of cultural producers.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
20/01/2025
We are proud to announce that the first phase of renovation for the Aaltosiilo project has been successfully completed. The inner metal and wood structures have been dismantled, and repairs have been made to the building’s interior, paving the way for further work to open the building to the community as soon as possible.
We would like to thank our contractors, LTM Rakennus Oy and VP Purku Oy, for their hard work over a freezing Finnish winter to complete the project on schedule.
Additionally, we extend our special thanks to Hauru Oy for sponsoring our waste intake and recycling efforts. Companies like Hauru Oy, with their strong commitment to sustainability projects, are essential in influencing local policy regarding heritage sites.
Skene Catling de la Peña and Factum Foundation’s plans for the first industrial project by Alvar Aalto continue, joining Oulu’s efforts for the Capital of Culture celebrations in 2026.
Furthermore, the demolition work would not have been possible without the support of the following individuals and institutions: Tapani Mustonen, Mustonen Arkkitehdit, Raimo Tikka, Northern Ostrobothnia Museum, Petri Sirviö, Business Oulu, Anneli Paakkari, Oulu City Planning Department, Seppo Mäkinen, Snowhow Ry, Iris Kriistina, Anna Niemelä.
We also wish to thank Jean Nordstrom August, Paul Nordstrom and all the generous donors whose support has truly made the difference.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
10/12/2024
We are delighted to announce that Aaltosiilo Ry has officially joined the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative as partner – one of the six in Finland and the only one in northern part of the country as of December 2024.
The New European Bauhaus, launched by the European Commission, envisions a future where sustainability, inclusivity, and aesthetics come together to inspire innovative solutions for our built environment. Joining this vibrant network allows Aaltosiilo Ry to collaborate with like-minded organisations and strengthens our commitment to ensure the preservation of Alvar and Aino Aalto’s woodchip silo in Oulu and its transformation into a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainability, and cultural engagement.
Central to the AaltoSiilo project is the use of art to reinvent industrial cultural heritage and the introduction by Skene Catling de la Peña and Factum Foundation of a new way of reusing reclaimed concrete demolition ‘waste’ to reduce carbon emissions during the restoration project of the Silo. The Aaltosiilo is a core legacy project for Oulu, European City of Culture, 2026 and was recently chosen by the European Commission as an example of excellence in architecture as part of the Living Spaces peer-learning programme.
The first renovation phase of the Silo, overseen by LTM Rakennus Oy and Snowhow Oy, started in November 2024 and is nearing completion, with significant milestones achieved over the past weeks. The aim is to repurpose the historical site while preserving its architectural heritage. The metal hoppers are being disassembled and removed in collaboration with VP Purkku Oy, and the ground floor’s wood structures have been dismantled. We would like to thank Hauru Oy for their help in the waste management, especially in handling the disposal of hazardous and toxic materials.
We look forward to participating in this journey of innovation and sharing our ideas and projects with the NEB community.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
12/11/2024
We are excited to share that the AaltoSiilo project is moving into a new phase, thanks to the generous donations from Jean Nordstrom August and others who wish to remain anonymous.
Factum’s experts carried out a comprehensive 3D scanning of the building two weeks ago, and a full technical report was put together in collaboration with Skene Catling de la Peña: these preparations paved the way for the interior dismantling process, which has just started. Key tasks will include the careful restoration of brick walls, the disassembly of wooden and metal structures, and critical repairs aimed at preserving the historic interior.
Working with the City Planning Department of Oulu and Skene Catling de la Peña, we are committed to completing this restoration in a way that minimises impact on the building’s historical integrity while ensuring high sustainability standards. In 2025, ground floor work will commence, including the installation of a heated floor, air quality improvements, the meticulous restoration of original windows and doors, and repairs to the building’s outer concrete layer.
The AaltoSiilo project benefits from collaborations with local specialists, including LTM Rakennus Oy and Mustonen Arkkitehdit Oy, as well as institutions such as OSAO, the University of Oulu, and international partners like the University of Delft in the Netherlands. Together, these partnerships are working toward a shared vision: revitalising the Silo in time for the Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture celebrations.
If you wish to support the project, please donate here
AaltoSiilo project
07/10/2024
After the electrifying ‘Screaming Duende’ in 2023, we are thrilled to share the latest development in the ongoing collaboration between flamenco dancer Israel Galván and the Finnish choir Mieskuoro Huutajat directed by Petri Sirviö.
This unique artistic partnership debuted at the Teatro della Maestranza in Seville on October 6th with an innovative version of Bizet’s Carmen: the pièce showcases the evolution of this unique artistic partnership, pushing the boundaries of both flamenco and choral performance.
‘The most independent Carmen’ will tour throughout Europe, demonstrating the transformative power of the AaltoSiilo, and how far the tremendous energy generated in and around it can travel. Galván commented, after the performance: “Petri Sirviö’s Screaming Men are flamenco. With them, I dance at my best”.
22/08/2024
On September 14, 2024, the Aalto Silo, Oulu’s historical architectural landmark, is set to host the much-anticipated Aaltosiilo Festival 2024: The Post-Industrial Dance. This festival marks a significant step in the transformation of the concrete silo, originally designed by Finland’s renowned architects Alvar and Aino Marsio Aalto, into a cutting-edge multimedia performance and exhibition space.
It promises a unique blend of music, dance, and multimedia performances that engage directly with the building’s industrial heritage and its future as a cultural hub. This year’s theme, “The Post-Industrial Dance,” explores the ways in which post-industrial landscapes can be reimagined through art and architecture, with a special focus on the integration of concrete spolia waste into sustainable construction.
The festival includes:
– LNA (DJ) & OIVO (DJ): These performances kick off the festival, with vinyl selections that mirror the rough, weathered beauty of the AaltoSiilo, ranging from downtempo to dystopian sounds.
– Alvar Aalto Photography Landscapes Block: Featuring work by renowned artist Elina Brotherus and a Meri-Toppila Photowalk exhibition by Photonorth, this segment explores the intersection of architecture, photography, and public space.
– Live Music & Multimedia Performances: The day will be filled with live electronic performances by artists like OSSIA (UK) and a special guest from Tartu 2024. AaltoSiilo will also connect with Villa Tammekann in Tartu through a live-streamed hybrid audiovisual performance by Gatesleeper and VJ Tencu.
– Concrete Cathedral & Silo Dance: Multidisciplinary performances by artists Antonia Henn and Sisko Iljana will collect and present the dreams of Meri-Toppila residents, while acrobatic choreographies by Lisa Ilona Jantti and Pavlína Podzimková will showcase the building’s unique features.
– Triálogo: A location-sensitive live performance where flamenco artist Anna Murtola, electronic musician Josu Mämmi, and the AaltoSiilo itself engage in a tripartite conversation that spans time. This unique performance incorporates soundscapes, history, and interviews with former workers of the Toppila Oy factory, adding their experiences to the show’s soundscape. Murtola, the world’s northernmost flamenco singer, and Mämmi, a versatile composer and sound designer, bring together a blend of tradition and innovation that reflects the rich history and future aspirations of the AaltoSiilo.
The Aaltosiilo Festival 2024 is a free public event, part of the Oulu European Capital of Culture 2026 program. All performances will be live-streamed on a 14m² LED screen outside the silo. This event is made possible thanks to the collaboration and support of the Finnish Estonian Institute, Turku University Foundation, Tartu 2024, Oulu 2026, Ö Studio, Factum Foundation, Aaltosiilo Ry, and pARTir.
10/06/2024
The Guardian have published an article on the Boris Savelev Exhibition, ‘Viewfinder. A Way to Look’, in Madrid. The article features highlights from the exhibition, with comments from curator, Adam Lowe. Skene Catling de la Peña collaborated with Factum Foundation, assisting with the design and layout of the exhibition.
07/06/2024
From Saturday 8th to Thursday 13th of June 2024, French cultural organisation PPCM (Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde), Flow Productions, Valve Cultural Center, Oulu 2026 and AaltoSiilo are delighted to present the series of workshops “Climbing over Oulu – Revisiting the landscapes of the hidden city”.
The workshops, free of charge and open to all, will take the form of urban walks around Oulu.
We aim to bring together the plurality of voices within the city, and offer a platform for free expression. Participants will be encouraged to take the role of guides and reveal new paths and symbols across Oulu’s landscape, in a shared experience of exploration and discovery. A visit to Alvar Aalto’s Silo in Meri-Toppila will also offer the chance to participate in the activation of this space, currently being renovated by Factum Foundation and Skene Catling de la Peña.
On Thursday 13th, a site-specific artistic performance will celebrate the workshops’ conclusion.
Organised by Eleftérios Kechagioglou (PPCM Director), and Amine Slimani (architect specialised in contemporary heritage) with Aaltosiilo’s Project Manager Valentino Tignanelli, the events are presented within the framework of Oulu European Capital of Culture 2026.
21/05/2024
The Arctic Construction Cluster visited the silo with representatives of more than 20 construction companies operating in Northern Finland! Discussions about the future of the Silo, building health and tech innovation followed the tour.
The activities were part of the symposium organised by the Arctic Construction Cluster; Business Oulu, Regional Council of Lapland and funded by Interreg Aurora project of the European Union.
27/05/2024
Skene Catling de la Peña assisted with the design and layout of the exhibition: ‘Viewfinder. A Way of Seeing’.
The exhibition is a tribute to Ukrainian photographer Boris Savelev, who was honoured with the PHotoESPAÑA Award 2024 on May 27th.
15/05/2024
Based at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), this international multidisciplinary project funded by the Norwegian Research Council, involves architects, art and architectural historians, anthropologists, artists, as well as Factum Arte, and Skene Catling de la Peña.
01/05/2024
La Biblioteque de L’Amateur traces the history of creation throughout the century in the fields of architecture, design, and the decorative arts. Through a series of monographs, the collection presents the work and approach of creators who have influenced the evolution of styles, each in their own way. The latest release explores the architecture and design of Alvar Aalto, featuring the AaltoSiilo.
26/04/2024
The AaltoSiilo project is part of the ‘FIX: Care and Repair’ exhibition at the Design Museum in Helsinki open from April 26th to January 5th, 2024. The exhibition, produced in collaboration with experts from the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, brings together architecture, design, and contemporary art.
In spring 2023, the museums held an open call seeking proposals related to maintenance, care, and preservation and the AaltoSiilo was one of the over 130 applications from the fields of art, craftsmanship, design, and architecture.
More information on how to visit on the Design Museum’s website
20/04/2024
Skene Catling de la Peña, Factum Arte, and Khorein have collaborated to organise an event, discussing the relationship between theory and project execution in Architecture.
Proposed as an informal gathering, the event will take place at Factum Arte, an international, multidisciplinary workshop in Madrid where practice guides theory.
We ask:
Practitioners – what does it mean to practice architecture?
What is the process of turning ideas and images into space and material form?
What does it mean to ‘execute’ an idea?
Does this process lie behind practice, or is it simultaneous to it?
This dialogue will be held in the context of the Factum Arte workshops in Madrid, where ideas are translated into material form.
11/04/2024
The AaltoSiilo project presents at the New European Bauhaus satellite event on April 11th. Valtentino Tignanelli, speaks live from the silo, alongside several other innovative projects around Europe via live stream at the festival stage.
11/04/2024
Oulu Innovative Playground is an event dedicated to sharing experiences and exploring new possibilities in the post-industrial landscape. Esteemed speakers will present their projects, aiming to discover innovative solutions for positive change through the integration of new technologies, policies, and citizen participation.
The focal point of this event is to connect these experiences with the ongoing development of the socially challenging Meri-Toppila neighbourhood in Oulu, Finland. At the heart of this development lies the Aaltosiilo project: a once-abandoned architectural landmark designed by Alvar Aalto, currently undergoing renovation by the Factum Foundation and Skene Catling de la Peña Studio. It is set to be transformed into a multipurpose building, serving as the future centrepiece of an urban village.
Following the speeches, there will be discussions on how these shared experiences can contribute to the development of Meri-Toppila and explore potential applications for the Aaltosiilo renovation.
Speakers:
– Mikko Hauru, Hauru Oy
– Elina Yli-Luukko and Kasper Karjalainen, Arctic Construction Cluster and Circular Economy Cluster
– Pave Mikkonen, PAVE Arkkitehdit Oy
– Janne Pihlajaniemi, University of Oulu Architecture School
– Joonatan Hamari, The Nook Project
– Johannes Helama, Oulu Future City Center
– Jouni Rissanen, Keko Geopolymeerit Oy
Moderator: Petri Sirviö, Business Oulu
Join us for coffee at 13:30. Your presence is warmly welcomed!
This event is produced in collaboration with Aaltosiilo Ry/Factum Foundation, The Culture Department of the City of Oulu, and Business Oulu.
23/03/2024
Skene Catling de la Peña designed several bespoke display tables for a ceramic exhibition hosted by Factum Foundation.
For over 2 years, Factum Foundation worked with a family of potters on a project to revive and fire a traditional Arabic kiln in the city of Úbeda, Spain. On a night of full Harvest Moon between September 29th and 30th 2023, the kiln was brought back to life for the first time since 2007, and more than 500 objects were fired over the course of 35 hours. Hundreds of objects, from jugs, pots and oil containers to jars and plates emerged from the kiln; all unique in their materiality and subtle imperfections, produced by the poetic transformation of fire and earth.
From March 23rd until June 2nd 2024, a selection of objects is on display in the sacristy of the Church of San Lorenzo in Ubeda.
16/02/2024
In February 2024, Factum Foundation’s studios in Madrid welcomed Ari Alatossava, Oulu’s Deputy Mayor, Sami Ylisaari, Oulu’s Director of Arts and Culture, Karri Oikarinen, Oulu’s Project Director, Hanna Jakku, Oulu’s Project Manager, and Petri Sirviö, Project Manager of Business Oulu Ltd. and director of the Hutaajaat Choir.
The discussions centred around the next phases of AALTOSIILO and its involvement in the events that will lead to Oulu 2026.
Since Factum Foundation acquired Alvar Aalto’s first industrial building, the Aaltosilo, remarkable things have happened and the building is coming back to life – both as a great example of an enlightened use of concrete and as a research centre into sustainable building technologies that can act as a realtime barometer for the environmental changes in the Gulf of Bothnia.
The Aaltosilo is establishing itself as a symbol of positive action that can rethink the relationship of industrial heritage to the Arctic environment. The calendar of events and participations during 2024 is packed and a new event is being planned for next September after the great success of FAREWELL TO THE HOPPERS and SCREAMING DUENDE.
09/02/2024
Charlotte Skene Catling has been invited to participate as a speaker in the conference END: Architecture and Philosophy Face to Face, at Lancaster University. The conference is part of an event series organised by Khōrein: Journal for Architecture and Philosophy, with Peter Eisenman as guest editor for the upcoming issue.
The events include conferences and workshops held in Harvard GSD in November 2023 with Sarah Whiting, TU Berlin in January 2024 with Jörg Gleiter, and the AA in February with Kenneth Frampton. It will also continue in Europe with events organised in Milan, Paris and Venice.
The Lancaster conference will take place on the 9th of February.
17/11/2023
AaltoSiilo has been featured as one of thirty examples in the European Commission’s ‘Living Spaces Catalogue’. The projects show how European cities and regions transform their built environment with quality, sustainable and inclusive solutions.
The feature includes information on management, budget and transferable ideas intended to inspire other cities and regions to implement their own projects.
04/11/2023
Jonathan Morrrison, in his Times review of The Iconic British House: Modern Architectural Masterworks since 1900 by Dominic Bradbury, writes about the Flint House (2015), and touches on the architectural approach and design philosophy of Skene Catling de la Peña.
19/10/2023
Episode 6/3 of A is for Architecture features a conversation with Charlotte Skene Catling on her approach to architecture and design, and future projects.
Listen below:
Apple / iTunes
Spotify
Google Podcast
Amazon Music
16/09/2023
On October 16th, Otto Lowe participated as Keynote Speaker at the first edition of the conference Spirit of Paimio, hosted at the historic Paimio Sanatorium designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto. The conference is part of Paimio Sanatorium’s fundraising initiatives and highlights the evolution of the Paimio Sanatorium into a symbol of architecture focused on empathy, care, and human dignity.
Lowe presented the work of the Factum Foundation in aiding the preservation of cultural heritage through the use and development of non-invasive recording technologies. The potential of applying new technologies to architecture and industrial heritage is evident in the AaltoSiilo project and a recording of the Paimio Sanatorium is now undergoing discussion.
04/09/2023
The Laboratory Arts Collective Magazine has an upcoming publication ‘Futuro’, featuring a conversation between Charlotte Skene Catling and Sukie Smith. The two discuss extracting buildings from geology, adventure, coincidence, legacy, and how structure facilitates chaos and experimentation.
24/08/2023
New book ‘The Iconic British House’ by Dominic Bradbury explores the country’s best residential examples since 1900.
‘The book, published this autumn by Thames & Hudson, is a rich investigation of the genre through a variety of examples – houses from every style, including Arts and Crafts, art deco, modernism and postmodernism – and a range of authors, both established and emerging names alike.’
‘Architects such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Edwin Lutyens, Berthold Lubetkin, Richard Rogers, Skene Catling de la Pena, and Seth Stein all make an appearance. Many of the designs have been influential beyond the country’s borders or even define entire eras or architectural periods.’
22/08/2023
Oulu’s Meri-Toppila district is gearing up for an exciting community event that promises to shape its future. The “Naapurit” meetings are scheduled for Saturday, September 2nd, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Alvari Cultural Centre (Sihtikuja 2, Meri-Toppila, Oulu). The initiative is jointly organised by Kulttuurivoimalan and AaltoSiilo, with the aim of fostering community engagement and collaborative planning for the neighbourhood’s evolution.
The event kicks off at 1:00 p.m. with a collective map intervention, where participants will contribute to a large wooden map of the area. It will be followed by an interactive session titled “Sharing the Neighbours’ Experiences” from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The time slot from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. will be dedicated to “Area plans: History, ideas, and thoughts.”, focusing on the district’s urban master plans and the valuable insights gleaned from previous experiences.
As a co-organiser, AaltoSiilo is determined to keep offering accessible and conducive spaces for essential dialogues around the revitalisation of Oulu and the district of Meri-Toppila.
27/06/2023
ArchDaily writes about the AaltoSiilo latest with an article titled ‘Oulu City Council Grants Permission for Aalto’s Silo Restoration Project in Finland‘.
22/06/2023
World Architecture writes about the AaltoSiilo latest with an article titled ‘Alvar Aalto’s Iconic AaltoSiilo Project Receives Approval for Restoration in Oulu‘.
13/06/2023
On June 3rd, two events, one in Finland and another in Madrid, awakened the powerful spirit of the Duende, enunciated by poet Federico Federico García Lorca as a state of ‘tragedy-inspired ecstasy, a poetic emotion which is uncontrolled’.
El Duende, an earth spirit from Andalusian folklore, is usually associated with flamenco culture, but thanks to these performances, we feel it acquired its universal artistic reach connecting cultures and people beyond any geographical limitation. Screaming Duende marks a milestone in the AaltoSiilo as a multimedia performance and exhibition space.
Screaming Duende was also live-streamed at the Instituto Iberoamericano de Finlandia in Madrid, where Sudanese musician Wafir Gibrilsang flamenco songs in Arabic accompanied by his lute. Highlighting the rich Arab influences of flamenco, Gibril’s performance acted as a cultural bridge to Oulu and its growing community of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Wearing a Syrian sash across his breast, the characteristic quejío or grief-stricken lamentations associated with flamenco evoked the hardship and suffering of refugees.
We thank everyone who contributed to bringing this event together, in Finland and Spain!
Watch video on Vimeo
Oulu 2026 Website
AaltoSiilo Website
AaltoSiilo Project
02/06/2023
Share Your Green Design has published AaltoSiilo as a case study outlining its core sustainable features and goals.
10/05/2023
As part of the Oulu 2026 cultural program, Factum Foundation and AaltoSiilo are organising SCREAMING DUENDE, a new event in Meri-Toppila, Oulu on June 3rd. It is a world premiere of pairing the radical flamenco master Israel Galván and the Huutajat (Screaming Men) Choir. The event is a central part of the AaltoSiilo project, which uses art and industrial cultural heritage to develop this unique silo.
There will also be performances by vinyl DJs Malsson, Tenko, and Matti Aikio and an audiovisual concert by Veera Neva & Arttu Nieminen. The event is free and will be live-streamed and projected outside the Silo itself. The event can also be followed on Oulu2026’s Facebook page.
At AaltoSiilo Israel Galván will meet the world-famous Huutajat Choir in the spirit of Federico García Lorca’s concept of duende. García Lorca describes duende as a tragedy-inspired ecstasy, a poetic, and uncontrollable emotional state.
“El duende, then, is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought.”
Oulu is the European Capital of Culture for 2026. Screaming Duende is part of the Oulu2026 culture program and the cultural climate change. The event follows last year’s event, where Transistori band played the silo building as a large-scale urban instrument.
Watch teaser video on Vimeo
Oulu 2026 Website
AaltoSiilo Website
AaltoSiilo Project
01/03/2023
Anna Niemelä has written her Masters thesis at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. Titled ‘The Significance of Preserving Historical Industry Building’, the thesis explores the questions: why AaltoSiilo and similar historic industry buildings are worth saving, how our cultural heritage reflects on our everyday life through those buildings, and what impact can the re-use of historic buildings have on the surrounding area.
04/11/2022
‘FAREWELL TO THE HOPPERS’ was the first AaltoSiilo event produced by Factum Foundation as part of Oulu2026 – European City of Culture programme. Below is a link to the video posted in relation to this event.
04/11/2022
Discovery has always been at the heart of Masterpiece London and the fair celebrates the diversity of artistic expression throughout time and across cultures. The exhibition embedded the plan of Tutankhamun’s tomb within a larger labyrinth that traced how Ancient Egypt has captured the public imagination for over five hundred years, from the Renaissance to the Romantics, through colonial discovery and scientific excavation to the future and virtual or augmented experience.
25/08/2022
On September 24th, Factum Foundation in collaboration with Oulu, European Capital of Culture 2026 will be organising a series of performances, projections and a concert in the iconic Silo by Alvar Aalto. Freely open to the public and available on Facebook streaming ,‘FAREWELL TO THE HOPPERS’ is the first event of AaltoSiilo project produced by Factum Foundation as part of Oulu2026 culture programme.
The event will start with local DJs and audiovisual artists on the grounds surrounding the Silo, located in the Meri Toppila district of Oulu. The main show, offered by Finnish percussion group Transistori, will be performed inside the iconic building designed by architects Alvar and Aino Aalto. The audience will be able to experience Transistori’s performance through a LED screen installed outside the Silo.
Two industrial metal hoppers formerly used during the cellulose-making process will be dismantled and removed from site in 2023, as part of the restoration works undertaken by the Factum Foundation and Skene Catling de la Peña. A third one was already removed from the Silo during checks to the structural integrity of the building in the past years. The cavernous and peculiar sound of these metal hoppers caught the attention of Finnish percussion group Transistori, who specialises in instruments built from scrap and recycled materials. The performance will highlight and explore the industrial past of the Toppila Pulp Mill Silo and its rebirth after restoration.
The group, composed of six musicians and two sound engineers, all originally from Oulu, will use the hoppers and funnels as percussion instruments during the performance, remixing and enhancing their sound using electronic beats, synthesizers and drum machines. The interior of the Silo will act as a resonating chamber, transforming the building into an urban-sized musical instrument.
The Silo, designed to store wood chips for cellulose production and located in the Meri Toppila area of Oulu, is currently undergoing restoration. The not-for-profit Factum Foundation and the award-winning architectural practice Skene Catling de la Peña, who acquired the Silo in 2020, aim to repurpose it as a multi-purpose centre for the digital preservation of industrial heritage in the North.
06/07/2022
27/06/2022
Presented by Masterpiece London in partnership with Apollo, this three-part series of podcasts provides an insight into the works on show at this year’s Masterpiece fair. In this final episode, Sophie Barling speaks to Charis Tyndall of Charles Ede about a striking image of female companionship on an Ancient Greek funeral stele. Nick Stagliano of Michele Beiny gallery tells the story behind a porcelain breast bowl made for Marie Antoinette, while Adam Lowe talks about the display he has curated with architect Charlotte Skene Catling for the fair’s new Masterpiece [Re]Discovery section, ‘Avoiding Oblivion: The Preservation of Pharaonic Knowledge’, which builds on the work of Lowe’s workshop Factum Arte in the Valley of the Kings over the last two decades.
Masterpiece London is at the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 30 June–6 July.
24/06/2022
The exhibition Avoiding Oblivion – Pharaonic Influence over the Past 500 Years, curated by Adam Lowe and Charlotte Skene Catling at Masterpiece [Re]Discovery in London, was the result of years of work to raise awareness about the preservation of cultural heritage and the changing attitudes to preservation.
Our collective fascination with Ancient Egypt has grown since the start of modern Egyptology in 1822 – the year that saw the deciphering of Hieroglyphs and the exhibition of the first facsimile of part of Seti’s tomb in London and Paris. While the excitement took many people to Luxor and created an important economy based on tourism, it also led to the partial destruction of the Valley of the Kings. In November, COP27 will hopefully deliver more than the first 26 summits and help us all to avoid oblivion!
05/04/2022
Led by Jonathan Ruffer, the Auckland Project is working to regenerate large sections of the town of Bishop Auckland. Part of the redevelopment is the new Spanish Gallery, the first museum in the UK to be devoted to Spanish art, which opened on October 15, 2021.
Factum Foundation and Skene Catling de la Peña were commissioned to rethink the concept and role of a museum for the top floor. The result, ‘In the Blink of an Eye, Transience and Eternity in the Spanish Golden Age’, is a space filled with great objects, all with their own specific history, biography and meaning in their original location, but with the potential to unlock a profound understanding of Spanish art when put together in dialogue with each other. The original pieces were all chosen, digitally recorded using non-contact technologies and re-embodied as physical facsimiles to reveal some of the defining characteristics of this period of Spanish art and its context.
The outcome is a portal into Spanish Renaissance and early Baroque thinking and a collection of mutually beneficial collaborations that redefine sharing, connoisseurship and preservation.
16/03/2022
Since the beginning of 2022, while weather conditions in Finland don’t allow for the renovation works to continue, the team at AaltoSiilo has been quite busy presenting the new plans and design updates to the Oulu 2026 Capital of Culture Foundation team and the city planning council. The project is now officially part of the Oulu 2026 programming and plans are in the making to organise the first event within the Silo this summer.
The focus on recycling and reuse has prompted the Skene Catling de la Peña team to look for suitable demolition sites in order to reclaim and reuse building material (or ‘spolia’) in and around Oulu. Charlotte Skene Catling was invited as a keynote speaker at the European University of Post-Industrial Cities in Rotterdam on June 17, where she will present the AaltoSiilo project and the Meri Toppila urban transformation process.
30/12/2021
Lauri Klemola has written his Masters thesis at Aalto University on the AaltoSiilo. The thesis is a collection of three essays in architectural theory that take the silo’s title as ‘The Ugliest Building in Oulu’ as a starting point for exploring the aesthetics of ugliness.
23/12/2021
No longer a building for storing woodchips, the Silo is now an extraordinary piece of sculpture. Since July, Valentino Tignanelli and the team in Finland have cleared, cleaned and secured the building after decades of neglect; the pigeons no longer rule the roost. The most recent step, before the snow and freezing weather halted building work until spring, has been the installation of electricity and lighting.
Through the preservation of this great building, the goal is to create a new approach to the recording and reuse of industrial heritage. After an extremely positive meeting with the Oulu planning department, Skene Catling de la Peña are currently developing the design of the new Research Centre, and working with engineers eHRW and other Finnish partners to define a protocol for recycling large pieces of demolition waste.
“The Aaltosiilo project ends its first operational year with the building and plot of land fully cleaned and cleared. Plus, now for the first time in 40 years, the inside is lightened up by a new electricity network and dozens of working lights.
2022 will see the Siilo renovated in depth, with sustainable practices and innovative solutions that will hopefully allow us to host the first events and shared discussions with the community about its future. Everybody in Oulu is looking forward to the revitalisation of this iconic landmark and the work will continue at a fast pace, among Northern lights in the sky and snow in the ground!”
13/08/2021
Adam Lowe and Charlotte Skene Catling in conversation for the Architecture Film Festival London 2021
Listen to full conversation here
AaltoSiilo Website
Architectural Film Festival – AaltoSiilo Capsule
22/04/2021
The 15th International Alvar Aalto Symposium – Future of Industry (August 12-13 2021), will focus on the current challenges of the spaces and milieus of the history, present and future manufacturing industry. The main theme will be studied from three specific viewpoints. Reliable partner: a factory building in the city, Responsible action: sustainable industrial milieus and Building identity: The role of industrial architecture in constructing community, recognizability and perceived value.
Charlotte Skene Catling and Adam Lowe will present the AaltoSiilo as keynote speakers in this event organised by the Alvar Aalto Academy together with the City of Jyväskylä and several other partners. The 2-day programme will include besides speeches and conversations, architectural excursions, exhibitions and various public events.
09/03/2021
DesignBoom have written a piece on the AaltoSiilo Project,. The proposal by Skene Catling de la Peña and Factum Foundation seeks to turn an Alvar Aalto designed wood chip silo in northern Finland into a research centre.
30/03/2020
Charlotte Skene Catling, Co Founder, Catling de la Pena Architects, and Andrew Whalley, Deputy Chairman, Grimshaw Architects
• Narratives and movement / choreography in relation to space. The Fidelio performance as a site specific piece, staged in a former Gulag in Siberia.
• What happens at the scale of Disney’s Tomorrowland in Shanghai?
• Does performance have the same meaning in small and large projects?
16/10/2019
A ground-breaking visual survey of architecture designed by women from the early twentieth century to the present day.
Charlotte Skene Catling is featured with an accompanying image from the Flint House project
08/2019
Emma Chricton-Miller writes an article featuring the Madame de Pompadour exhibition designed by Skene Catling de la Peña in collaboration with Factum Arte. The article investigates how digital technology is transforming our understanding of the context and meaning of historic works of art.
27/06/2018
MASTERPIECE PRESENTS launched last year as a large-scale, dedicated exhibition space within Masterpiece London, transforming the Fair’s entrance and providing a platform for innovative, immersive works of art.
This year they showcase a new body of work by Marina Abramovic, Five Stages of Maya Dance. Presented by Factum Arte, in collaboration with Lisson Gallery, with the exhibition design by Skene Catling de la Peña, this set of five alabaster portraits of Marina Abramović merge performance, light and sculpture. They have a hauntingly physical presence but, as you move around the pieces, they decompose into intricately carved ‘landscapes’ of alabaster.
These works are the result of an extended period of experimentation that the artist has been carrying out in Factum Arte’s workshops in Madrid. Through the use of carved alabaster, Abramović is exploring new ways to give form to her ideas.
06/05/2018
Skene Catling de la Peña feature in Wallpaper Magazine in an article dedicated to the Cube Haus project.
05/05/2018
Skene Catling de la Peña feature in The Guardian with Oliver Wainwright’s thoughts on Cube Haus and the idea of designer catalogue homes.
In 2017, Philip Bueno de Mesquita approached Skene Catling de la Peña with the Cube Haus concept, which he and his partner Paul Tully created in response to the ongoing shortage of housing in London. They had discovered an underused asset: small, awkward and irregular sites. They then proposed a unique model for the development of residential infill sites and commissioned Skene Catling de la Peña, as one of four award winning Architects, to develop a replicable design that could unlock the potential of these often overlooked assets.
07/02/2018
Bab al Ard – the Saudi Arabian Art Institute is featured in Architectural Record.
29/01/2018
09/2017
Day trip to visit Hauser & Wirth in Bruton and Drawing Matter at Shatwell Farm, Somerset
08/2017
World Architecture Festival brings the world’s most influential architects, designers, commentators, historians and critics together to discuss the theme of Performance across three days on three stages at the World Architecture Festival 2017.
03/2017
Charlotte Skene Catling will talk about her approach to excavating meaning from context as a means of developing architecture. Where geology is focused on the study of the earth and the rocks from which it is formed, archeology concentrates on the ‘biofacts’, artifacts, architectures and cultural landscapes within a given place. Using a combined ‘geological’ and ‘archeological’ approach, her practice has developed an unusual method of making architecture that enters into adjacent disciplines. Her talk will be illustrated by five projects: three buildings, one opera and an art installation for the 57th Venice Art Biennale to open in May 2017.
11/2016
02/09/2016
Skene Catling de la Peña, in collaboration with Factum Foundation, have designed the latest RA exhibition; The Veronica Scanner: A new interactive project that celebrates the art of 3D photogrammetry in the 21st century. For ten days in September, the RA will be home to the Veronica Chorographic Scanner, a bespoke 3D head scanner. In a matter of seconds, the scanner uses eight cameras to capture 96 high resolution photographs of the human head from every angle, mapping even the finest surface details. These images can then be processed into a digital 3D model, replicating every feature of the face in intricate detail.
09/2016
07/2016
05/2016
23/03/2016
In the first lecture in the Architecture Centre’s 20th anniversary programme, People and Places, Charlotte Skene Catling considers the foundations of architecture and place making.
Described by the judges as “a marvel of geological evolution and construction, Flint House is a celebration of location, material and architectural design at its best. Set in the flint-layered fields of the Rothschild’s estate at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, the building rises from the ground as dark, fashioned flint and slowly changes in construction and texture until its refined white chalk blocks disappear into the sky.”
15/03/2016
Skene Catling de la Peña are granted a position on the jury for the AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards 2016.
02/2016
03/2016
14/01/2016
Celebrated for the artistry of their work, Assemble and Charlotte Skene Catling discuss the craft of architecture with Richard Wentworth and Will Hunter at the London School of Architecture’s monthly Show and Tell Social.
11/01/2016
14/12/2015
27/11/2015
The Independent features am article announcing The Flint House as the winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2015.
26/11/2015
25/11/2015
The Flint House is selected to be the RIBA House of the Year 2015. This feature in the Evening Standard gives Kevin McCloud’s impressions of the design, revealed as part of a special four-part TV series on Channel 4.
04/2015
25/10/2010
01/08/2009
01/03/2009
05/2008
03/2008
10/2007
