Dead Architects Calendar | 2021-2023

DEAD ARCHITECTS Calendar
Type: Concept & Graphic Design
Client: pro bono
Size: DIN A3 vertical (420 x 297 mm), 15 pages
Location: Printed in Germany
Status: Designed in 2021, to be printed in 2023
Publisher: Studio Karanka

Little research and design project in remembering interesting architects who have challenged the paradigm of their time and circumstances, and created something unique for us to admire and wonder. The architects' dates of deaths are in focus and give rhythm throughout the 12-months of the year. You can celebrate your favourite architect by raising a glass in memory of his or hers achievements, or see who passed away on your birthday. The research is published as an A3-sized, horizontal wall calendar with text and colour images. Note: This is a charity calendar for the benefit of little heart patients at the local hospital. The collected sums will be used to purchase toys for the kids recovering from heart surgery at the hospital ward, and to boost up their mood for a healthy future.

Forest | 2019 | Project

FOREST | Paris | France | 17.04.2019
Anarchitectural concept for the destroyed roof and spire of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

Steele | 2018 | Design

Steele | Würzburg | Germany | 2018 | Studio Karanka & Matthias Braun
Infosteele for Jewish shopkeepers on the Kaiserstraße and Kaisergärtchen with its fabulous Magnolia trees.

Nuns on bikes | 2015 | Competition

Nuns on bikes
Type: Open public photography competition
Client: AIV-Würzburg
Size: 800 x 450 px (online version)
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Competition 2015, honorary mention 2015
Photographer: Juhani Karanka

Prize winning entry to an open public photography competition "Meine Stadt" arranged in Würzburg. This snapshot was taken with an iPhone 4S in a classic street photography style. The nun just appeared from nowhere and raced down the street with full-throttle only to disappear into thin air. Amongst other issues, the theme of urban mobility was in focus in this lucky shot. 

Three old fellows and a cat | 2013 | Competition

Three old fellows and a cat
Type: Photography competition
Client: Sito Consulting Company
Size: 800 x 450 px (online version)
Location: Ericeira, Portugal
Status: Competition 2013, special prize 2013
Photographer: Juhani Karanka

Sunset over the Atlantic. Moments like these are worth cherishing: These fellows turned up every evening at the same time and the same place to chat by the sea. Always with the black cat next to the old man in the wheelchair. Leica. Snap. Later this snapshot received a prize in a photography competition in Finland.

AREA 51 | 2006 | Art Happening

AREA 51
Type: Guerrilla Urban Environmental Art Happening
Client: pro bono
Site: Amurinlinna Block
Size: site area 12,5 m2 + Living area 9,0 m2
Location: Hämeenpuisto 12, Tampere, Finland
Status: Concepted, designed and completed in one summer day 2006
Team: Atelier Karanka & Tamminen, artist Henrietta Lehtonen

Pop-up one day event to show what you can do in a parking area. The idea was to attract attention and promote public debate about the use of urban space invaded by cars. AREA 51 was sited in a middle of an urban housing estate from the 1950s in downtown Tampere. The name 51 derives from the real number given to the parking space. The whole Guerrilla Urban Environmental Art Happening project was planned, designed and executed in one single day by four people. The aim of AREA 51 was to attract positive attention and promote public debate about the use of urban space invaded by cars. A single car needs 12,5 m2 of parking space, which could be used in a more intelligent, artistic and civilized manner. With AREA 51 the team showed that it is possible to turn an asphalt jungle into a flowering oasis and have fun while enjoying Surreal lunch.

Monolith | 2000 | Design

MONOLITH - AMURINLINNA TOWER ENTRANCE AREA & STAIRWAY
Type: Renovation of the entrance, foyer and stairway of 1950s residential building by architect Erik Bryggman
Client: VVO Amurinlinna Housing Estate
Site: Existing 14-storey residential building with 144 apartments
Size: Entrance 15 m2 + Foyer 60 m2 + Stairway 560 m2
Location: Hämeenpuisto 12, Tampere, Finland
Status: Comissioned, designed and completed 2000
Team: Atelier Karanka & Tamminen, A-Insinöörit Oy (structural design)

This demanding renovation of the existing 1950s residential building by architect Erik Bryggman was done through research into the original ideas and drawings of the famous architect, and of the circumstances and requirements of the contemporary construction site. The chosen materials, colours and detailing followed the 1950s atmosphere as much as possible, ranging from copper, Palisander wood to glass blocks. The new electronic addressing system, for 144 apartments, was intergrated inside a single, massive Kuru-granite which was placed on its own foundation. The residents gave it a nickname Monoliitti - like the black Monolith from Stanley Kubrick's film 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Olohuone | 1997 | Art

OLOHUONE | Tampere | Finland | 1997 | Atelier Karanka & Tamminen
Public Art Project in the center of the city for the Tampere Modern Art Museum.

Play Architect | 1997 | Performance

YLE / TV 2 | Tampere | Finland | 1997 | Juhani Karanka
Appearance as Play Architect in Children‘s National TV-program "Pikku Kakkonen" TV/2 YLE, Finland produced interesting designs for funny little houses. Here‘s two of them: Frog & Tipi. Both made out of reused milk containers (1 l & 1/2 l respectively) Tipi is a showcase of model making, while Frog is a unique piece of innovative architecture. After working the whole day on several models, I was so fed up in seeing this stuff that I simply squashed the last one liter milk container and threw it on the Atelier floor. There it stood looking back at me... like a cute, smiling frog. So, back to work and after spraying the body and detailing the eyes this fellow became alive. Now and then I propose the Frog as a single-family house to clients, but somehow they don‘t see the beauty of it.

IFLA | 1990-1991 | Exhibition

IFLA | Stockholm | Sweden | Tampere | Finland | 1990-1991 | Atelier Karanka
IFLA travelling exhibition presenting Finnish library architecture. All made out of recycled, corrugated cardboard.