Refurbishment project of the Suomi-talo in Buenos Aires

Abstract

This thesis work includes the description and analysis of the design process that took place while doing the refurbishment project proposal of the building which used to serve as the Finnish Seamen´s Church and the Finnish house (Suomi-talo) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The proposal focuses on the refurbishment of the building in order to serve as a start-up hub for Finnish companies, willing to begin a new business in Argentina; and a meeting point of the Finnish community in Argentina, which has formerly used the premises as a church and gathering place. The building will bring together two communities with different characteristics and needs. My hypothesis of work is that both communities can clearly strengthen and benefit from each other.

The thesis´ main research question addresses how to refurbish a building so that it hosts both communities. At the same time how to achieve Finnish atmosphere in a building located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The thesis consists of five sections. The initial section includes the assessment in person of the building in Buenos Aires along with a historical review of the area and the house. The second section consists in understanding the future users by conducting questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A Human-centred design approach was chosen to develop the design process. The third section of the thesis includes the analysis of functions and current usage of three premises of the Finnish Seamen´s Mission, the association which established the Finnish Seamen’s Church in Buenos Aires. Through the analysis of three Finnish Pavilions at the World Fair Expos, the fourth section introduces research on how Finland has portrayed itself abroad. The fifth phase presents the development of the design and the description of the proposal based on insights gathered and analysed during the previous phases.