Finlandia Prize for Architecture Pre-selection Jury 2026

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The Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2026 pre-selection jury for has been announced. Anssi Lassila has been appointed to the jury for a two-year term. He will be a member of the pre-selection jury for the 2026 and 2027 editions of the award.

Finlandia Prize for Architecture

The purpose of the Finlandia Prize for Architecture is to increase appreciation for creative, high-quality architecture and to highlight the cultural value of architecture and its role in enhancing well-being. Awarded annually, the prize aims to generate interest in Finnish architecture.

The Finlandia Prize for Architecture was awarded for the first time in 2014. Puukuokka Housing Block by OOPEAA chosen as the winner of the prize in 2015. Other winning projects awarded with the prize in previous years include: Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Rovaniemi Sports Arena Railo, Aalto University Harald Herlin Learning Center, New Paediatric Hospital, Serpetine Housing Refurbishment, Helsinki Olympic Stadium Refurbishment, Fyyri Kirkkonummi Main Library, Jyväskylä University Library, Martta Wendelin Daycare Center, Chappe Art Museum, Tammela Stadium, and Katajanokan laituri.

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Pre-selection Jury

A pre-selection jury appointed by the Board of the Finnish Association of Architects selects three to five candidates for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture each year. The project must have been completed within the last three years (2023–25). The prize may be awarded to a building or group of buildings located in Finland, or to a work by a Finnish architect abroad.

Consisting of a chairperson and three members, the pre-selection jury is appointed for a term of one year. With members serving a two-year term, each edition will have two new members. The chairperson of the pre-selection jury for the 2026 Finlandia Prize for Architecture is Professor Panu Savolainen. The other members are Professor Anssi Lassila, Professor Sofie Pelsmakers, and architect Miia-Liina Tommila. Architect Paula Huotelin serves as the jury’s secretary.

Introducing the 2026 Pre-Selection Jury

Panu Savolainen is an architect and researcher originally from Turku. Since 2026, he serves as Professor of Architectural History and Restoration at Aalto University. Savolainen’s research focuses primarily on the architectural history and building archaeology of the medieval period and the 18th century.

Anssi Lassila is the head of OOPEAA, the architectural firm he founded, and serves as a Professor of Practice at the University of Oulu’s Unit of Architecture. His architectural designs combine sculptural form with material craftsmanship and innovative techniques. Anssi Lassila has a human-centric approach to architecture. He strives to create holistic solutions that provide a framework for a balanced everyday life. He has also explored the potential of timber construction, accumulating extensive experience with wood as a material—ranging from hand-hewn logs to the development of modular CLT structures.

Sofie Pelsmakers is Professor of Sustainable Housing Design and Director of the Tampere IAS research institute at Tampere University. She also co-chairs the university’s Sustainable Housing Design research group (ASUTUT). Pelsmakers studied architecture in Belgium and the UK, where she also completed her doctoral studies. She has been teaching sustainable architecture in the UK, Denmark, and Finland since 2001.

Miia-Liina Tommila runs her own practice, Arkkitehdit Tommila, in Helsinki. She is also a member of the Uusi Kaupunki collective. Her work as an architect focuses on strategic visions, urban planning, and building design with an emphasis on the circular economy. She has taught as a visiting lecturer at her alma mater, the Bergen School of Architecture and at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. She is an active speaker at industry events in Finland and the Nordic region. Prior to her engagement with architecture, she successfully pursued a career in classical music.

Winner to Be Chosen by a Prize Judge

The candidates selected by the pre-selection jury will be announced in September 2026. The final choice for the winning project will be made by a prize judge appointed by the Board of the Finnish Association of Architects, SAFA as a sole juror. The winner will be announced in the prize granting ceremony later during this fall.

The prize judge selecting the final winner of the Finlandia Prize for Architecture is an influential figure known as an expert in a field other than architecture. The prize judge makes the selection from among the projects chosen by a pre-selection jury. For each edition of the award, a new prize judge is appointed.

  • Stay tuned for more information on the pre-selected candidate and the announcement of the sole juror on the homepage of the prize HERE.
  • For more information on Puukuokka Housing Block by OOPEAA, the winner of the prize in 2015, see HERE.
  • Read the news posting about Puukuokka as winner of the Finlandia Prize for Architecture HERE.