LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS PAST YEAR

HEL/LO – Let’s Talk hosted Helsinki and London speakers throughout 2012 at four design and architecture discussions, and showed that speaking really is gold. To celebrate the rich life of the HEL/LO series, we have gathered some of the highlights from the months gone by:

//APRIL

In April, we said “HELLO HELSINKI, HELLO LONDON!” and launched our website, while our partner Blueprint magazine offers a teaser preview in their May issue. 

Designers Emmi Salonen and Chrissie Macdonald sent us the preliminary plans for the customised HEL/LO stage. We instantly love the ideas – and the eye candy.

//MAY

"The conversation was bubbling away and, like so many conversations that occur at that ungodly hour, the topics covered meandered from architecture, to design, to film, to family, to the price of houses, to the price of beer, to who will buy the next drink, back to architecture, to art, to whether we should all go home…"

– Owen Pritchard, the series’ co-curator, shares memories from how HEL/LO was born in Helsinki.

Photo by Aleksi Niemelä.

The HEL/LO series launched on a beautiful May evening in the steaming hot Gopher Hole basement in Shoreditch, London. HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams demonstrated that it can be important to think the impossible in order to start something new – and to actively share your dreams with the people around you.

"HEL/LO is a great example of a proactive Helsinki that greets the world with a new sense of self-confidence."

After the first HEL/LO talk, one of the Finnish newspapers Hufvudstadsbladet commented on our event.

//JUNE

While London prepared for the biggest sporting event of the year, we launched the theme for our second HEL/LO talk – games – and asked Martti Kalliala to elaborate on the relationship of games and cities:

Photo: Katja Hagelstam-Tanttu

“Games and the processes that constitute the building and existence of a city are not only analogous but in fact share similar structures and organizing principles.” 

In preparation of the second talk, we were treated to a glimpse behind the scenes of the HEL/LO designers.  We were absolutely thrilled to learn that the interview meant we would also capture what might be London’s most colourful workspace. 


//JULY

Photo by Aleksi Niemelä

Our second discussion HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Games, held at the fantastic new arts venue White Building in Hackney Wick, discussed the relationship between cities, public space and games. It touched on the politics and economics of design, while discussing what it means to be serious about being silly... 

Photo by Aleksi Niemelä

//AUGUST

In August, we released the details for the last two HEL/LO talks, the first of which is to travel to Helsinki during Helsinki Design Week in September. The Finnish magazine Gloria greets our Helsinki event with open arms and calls our choice of theme and venue “a perfect mix”. Our HEL/LO 3 venue, the Pavilion, also attracted the attention of the British press. 

//SEPTEMBER

With two talks at two major design events in Helsinki and London, HEL/LO – Let's Talk really did have an exciting September. 

Photo by Veikko Kähkönen

HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Alternatives brought the discussion to Helsinki 12 September, during Helsinki Design Week. We talked about alternative ways of thinking and doing in design, and drank hot autumn toddies.

A week later our designers set up the custom-made HEL/LO stage for the last time at designjunction, one of London Design Festival’s main venues. The fourth and final discussion HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Tomorrow turned out to be a feisty exchange of ideas. 

Blueprint magazine’s editor Johnny Tucker, who moderated the talk, sums up the night aptly:

Photo by Aleksi Niemelä

“Tuomas Toivonen burst into song and Rachel Armstrong treated us to a discussion of a metaphysical chicken. And that was just for starters – the discussion that followed and was forthright and extremely entertaining. Who would have predicted that the two Finnish panel members would eventually plump for a vision of the future as envisaged by Nicole Kidman!”

The HEL/LO team wishes to thank all speakers who took part in the HEL/LO –Let’s Talk series: Alex Warnock-Smith, Andreas Lang, Annamari Vänskä, Asif Khan, Chee-Kit Lai, Dick Powell, Hella Hernberg, Je Ahn, Krista Kosonen, Maria Smith, Martti Kalliala, Max Dewdney, Olli Sirén, Rachel Armstrong, Sean Griffiths, Timo Salli, Tomas Träskman, Torange Khonsari, Tuomas Toivonen.

VIDEO: "WE HAVEN'T YET SEEN ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN DREAM"

What are the differences in realising dream projects in Finland and the UK? Why has Helsinki's urban scene bloomed in recent years? What do you dream of? Our five HEL/LO – Let's Talk About Dreams speakers answered these and many other questions at the first HEL/LO event held 24 May at the Gopher Hole in London. Watch the whole talk here!

Filmed by Thomas Lock.

A DREAM NIGHT IN PICTURES

HEL/LO – Let's Talk About Dreams photos by Aleksi Niemelä.

COLLABORATION IS KING

“Hello”, said Hanna Harris, programme director at The Finnish Institute in London, and kicked off HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams – a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion filled with aha (and haha) moments. 

For this event, the HEL/LO team brought together five individually quite different designers and architects to hear their views on shaping dreams through design and architecture. 

The launch was very kindly supported by Finnish design brand Iittala to mark the launch of their new tableware collection Sarjaton. The collection is based on the collaborative work of six young Finnish designers from fashion, product, graphic and digital design. Sarjaton and the creative process behind it, led by Harri Koskinen, very much follow the same principles and ethos as the HEL/LO team values, finding its strength in collaboration and unexpected partnerings. We’re very excited that Sarjaton’s UK launch took place at the first HEL/LO event.

We also wish to thank the fantastic London-based restaurant North Road, who served our guests magnificently Nordic nibbles throughout the evening.

We look forward to posting pictures from HEL/LO – Let's Talk About Dreams here shortly.


The HEL/LO Team

DREAM TICKET

With the HEL/LO window accessories finally in place, the Gopher Hole is ready for HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams – and so are we! With only two days to go until the HEL/LO series kicks off, all Eventbrite tickets have been sold out for this first event. For those of you still eager to take part, we recommend that you enquire last minute places at the Gopher Hole door Thursday night.  

Hope to see you!

The HEL/LO Team

SNEAK PEEK

With D-day approaching, the HEL/LO team is putting the final touches on HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams. Here’s what we’ve been thinking about today.

    

These baby-prototypes will grow into lovely customised chairs for our speakers to sit on.

 You can never have enough eye candy.

 With a sign like this, nothing can go wrong.

Q&A: HELLA HERNBERG

Photo: Bernhard Ludewig

Helsinki-based architect and designer Hella Hernberg has always been a multidisciplinary-minded person, rather than someone who thinks inside the box. During her architectural studies, she worked at practices focusing on building design – at the same time she was drawn to the breadth and complexity of urban design. Today her work within research and design ranges from objects to urban projects. With Helsinki Beyond Dreams, a new publication on urban culture in Helsinki, she explores unfamiliar territory; producing, editing and publishing a book for the first time. So, what has she learned about her hometown by turning it into a book?

How would you describe your relationship with Helsinki?
It's been a love-and-hate relationship, lately developed strongly towards the love side. I've lived in Helsinki since 1995 (apart from short stays abroad) and I can say the city has definitely changed dramatically for the better in the past five years or so. What has been most surprising about Helsinki is the new attitude among its people – a new we-spirit and guts to make the city a better place with small initiatives and interventions. 

What do you see as the most important urban transformations in Helsinki?

The relocation of the two inner-city harbours, Jätkäsaari and Kalasatama, to the eastern district of Vuosaari, opened up vast new spaces right next to the city centre and this is something quite exceptional in many ways. Of course it gives the opportunity to build whole new inner-city districts and develop new kinds of housing and architecture but in the meantime I think the new, industrial face of these areas that used to be inaccessible to the public, has been really inspiring for the people. Places like Kalasatama have developed into a playground for new, experimental culture. There's a lot of energy now in the people and places like this give the possibility to turn this energy into something new.  

In Helsinki Beyond Dreams, the Finnish concept of “sisu” is mentioned. What role would you say this type of determination has had in creating a lively Finnish capital? 

When you want to realise a new idea, something unconventional or different from what people are used to, it often takes a lot of "sisu" or perseverance to get to your goal. It can mean navigating in the jungle of bureaucracy and regulations,  believing in your idea when others are doubtful or sorting out the finances. 

You have founded the online journal Urban Dream Management, where you promote an open-minded and collective attitude for developing new ideas. Would you say people in Helsinki dare to dream?

I think they're becoming better at it all the time. Traditionally I've had the idea that Finnish people are very much reliant on the government and sticking to the rules and conventions. But I feel there's a new generation that is able to question how things are done and see things in a more broad-minded way. It's important to encourage and support people with their ideas.

What kind of urban dreams do you personally have?

My dream city would combine things from small villages and big cities, having both the slowness and the intensity. My urban dreams are very much related to ecological values: cities that could function more ecologically, where there's more local services and where more commodities are shared, for example. In my dream city you'd be able to lead a lifestyle that leaves more time and space for immaterial, basic things in life: people, friends, family and good food. Simply enjoying the small things in life.

Having edited Helsinki Beyond Dreams, how would you describe a city that lies beyond dreams?

I'll leave that to the reader's imagination... But I could say that it's about being able to dream, imagine and envision new futures in the first place, and then about the courage to go beyond common conventions or sometimes beyond the comfort zone.

Hella Hernberg is one of the Finnish speakers for HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams, held at The Gopher Hole 24 May.


Interview by
Jenni Tuovinen

DREAM BIG

Hello. It’s time to talk about dreams.

After many months and equally many phone calls and emails, we are very excited to announce the programme and speakers for the first HEL/LO – Let’s Talk event.

HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams, held at The Gopher Hole in Hoxton 24 May, focuses on self-initiated, DIY architecture and design projects that shape the cities and communities we live in.

The Gopher Hole. Photo: Lynton Pepper.

The speakers for the event are Helsinki-based architect and designer Hella Hernberg and Olli Sirén, producer and initiator of groundbreaking community projects together with the London-based designer and art director Asif Khan and the young architectural practice Mobile Studio.

Self-initiated projects are proving that the urge to create is stronger than ever. The speakers taking part in the first HEL/LO – Let’s Talk event have created publications, manifestos, buildings, products and events that have had an impact in London and Helsinki. They will discuss the proactive nature of their work and the changing methods designers and architects are using. What does it really take to turn a dream into reality?

A dream can be inspirational, unforgettable, even life changing. So can a really good conversation. If you can dream it, you can definitely talk about it.

HEL/LO – Let’s Talk About Dreams is a free event, but booking is essential. Secure your ticket here.