Partners

"It is a huge honour to be involved in the AALTOSIILO project. My family had a profound relationship with Aalto working in everything from private homes (Villa Mairea) to factories such as Sunila. The Oulu silo is not only an architectural and industrial landmark, but it also reflects the industrial and economic past of the region and how it has impacted the community and the nature surrounding it.

Niclas Ahlström, Founding Partner of Made by Choice Ltd.

“The Toppila cellulose factory is a key project in Aalto’s career. As his first factory complex, it was a predecessor to later industrial sites like Sunila, Inkeroinen and Summa. Completed in 1931, the building is an example of early functionalist architecture in Finland. Especially the Silo, with its particular character, is a local landmark. Also, other Aalto projects from that period, the Office Building for Turun, the Sanomat Newspaper and Paimio Sanatorium, became famous for their innovative concrete structures. Being unused for decades, the Silo provides possibilities, unique challenges and great potentials in reuse as well as in architectural and structural innovations. Rehabilitation of the landmark building will hail a new period, not only in the neighbouring Toppila area but also in the City of Oulu. The Alvar Aalto Foundation looks forward to the rise of the Phoenix!

The Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki, March 2nd 2021
Jonas Malmberg M.Sc. (arch.), M.A. (art history)

Cathy Giangrande is an art historian, archaeological conservator and Aalto specialist who has arranged many tours to Finland to visit Aalto’s buildings. She worked with World Monuments Fund and Stowe House and is an underwater archaeologist.

Bruno Boesch is a fine art law practitioner and founder of Collections Legal advising collections, institutions artists and their estates and other cultural property matters. He has been ranked steadily as a leader in the above fields. He is the editor of The Art Collecting Legal Handbook. Bruno’s mother was born in Oulu.

Mauricio Torres Leclerc has been assisting Factum Foundation for many years and has an extensive network of friends in Finland. Prior to his involvement with Factum, he served as SVP for a global leader in Data, Research and Insights Analytics where he oversaw global strategic partnerships.

Laura Lowe (née Heinonen) is an artist and Factum Foundation’s representative in Finland, based in Helsinki.

Niclas Ahlström is the director of the Finnish design brand Made by Choice. His family were responsible for commissioning some of Aalto’s masterpieces. Aalto’s Varkaus and Kauttua communities were built around Ahlström plants. Niclas’ grandmother, Maire Gullichsen (née Ahlström), commissioned the Villa Mairea in Noormarkku and was one of the co-founders of Artek. Harry Gullichsen led to Aalto’s Sunila Pulp Mill commission. Niclas is carrying on the creative and artistic tradition of the family in Finland.

Lauri Klemola works with AOR-architects, a Helsinki based studio specializing in the design of public buildings in demanding urban settings, as well as interventions in delicate historical contexts. He is currently finishing his master’s thesis at Aalto University, focusing on the adaptive reuse of the Toppila silo.

Valentino Tignanelli works in Buenos Aires & Madrid-based studio KURHAUS, an interdisciplinary bureau that links architectural pop-up events and interior design. He has participated in art installations and exhibits in South America, Europe and Asia. He is currently completing his master’s thesis at the University of Oulu on urban branding strategies with a particular focus on Toppila.