The Alfred Kordelin Prize awarded to Anssi Lassila of OOPEAA

Anssi Lassila of OOPEAA receives the Alfred Kordelin Prize on November 6, 2017.

Alfred Kordelin Foundation supports the sciences, literature, the arts and public education with grants and awards. This time, the foundation gave out grants to support the arts and sciences with the total amount of €3.2 million euros. There were 4 760 applications for grants and 271 grants were given out to researchers, artists and societal agents. In addition, four prizes totalling 120 000 euros acknowledging important contribution of individuals in their fields were awarded to a virologist, Finnish translator, an architect and a journalist in recognition of their exceptional work.

The recipients of the 2017 Alfred Kordelin Prize are Anssi Lassila, architect, Sarah Butcher, professor of microbiology, Kari Klemelä, Finnish translator, Elina Grundström, journalist and author.

In its statement, the board of experts deciding on the nominations for the Alfred Kordelin Prize characterized the work of Anssi Lassila as original and distinctive. They praised his work for a careful consideration of the historical context of the site, an ecological use of materials and a strong sense of materiality of the final building. They noted that his architecture is contemporary in its expression yet also rooted in the tradition of Finnish craftsmanship.

The Alfred Kordelin General Progress and Education Fund, established in 1918, is one of the oldest foundations in Finland operating in the Finnish language. Alfred Kordelin’s (1868-1917) idea was that ‘work for Finnish culture must be granted support in order to strengthen and deepen it internally, and also to represent Finnishness amongst other nations.’ The Fund’s first grants were awarded in 1920. Since then, the Foundation has provided uninterrupted support to Finnish science, arts, literature and adult education, and promoted internationalization. This year, 2017, marking 100 years since the death of Alfred Kordelin, a total of 5 million euros will be given out by the Foundation in grants and prizes.

For more information on the prize and a list of grant recipients, visit www.kordelin.fi

For a press release by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, see HERE.