“From Wood to Architecture: Recent Designs from Finland” takes a fresh look at the possibilities offered by the oldest of building materials: wood. Organized by The Museum of Finnish Architecture, the exhibition explores the current resurgence of wood as a building material. It presents 17 recently constructed buildings in Finland ranging from cultural centers to summer cottages to churches. The architects include established, internationally known figures such as Kristian Gullichsen, Mikko Heikkinen, and Markku Komonen as well as a new generation of young designers, including Anssi Lassila and Ville Hara.

“From Wood to Architecture” received rave reviews when it premiered at the 2004 Venice Biennale in the Alvar Aalto-designed Finnish pavilion. On view at the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki, Finland, during the summer of 2005, it is currently circulating as a traveling exhibition in the United States and Europe.

It will be at Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America from May 26 to August 25.

With two-thirds of Finland covered by forest, timber – both in nature and the built environment – is intimately associated with the image of the country. While the use of wood has decreased during the past 40 years, new opportunities for structural use and surface treatment are restoring this material to the prominent and visible role that it used to have in both urban and rural contexts. The use of wood is an architectural trend today, both in Finland and internationally.

Kärsämäki shingle Church, Anssi Lassila, Kärsämäki, Finland, 2004. -Jussi Tiainen photo

“From Wood to Architecture” introduces 17 recent buildingsshowing a diversity of function, scale, and context as well asapproaches to construction and surface treatment. Structural usesrange from solid logwork to glued timber and laminates. Battens,boards, sheeting and even shingles, are used for covering andcladding purposes.

Among the structures in “From Wood to Architecture” are a summer house by Olavi Koponen that blends into the Finnish archipelago; a shingle church by Anssi Lassila built using traditional Eighteenth Century methods without electricity, machines, or concrete; and Kimmo Lintula’s and Hannu Tikka’s simultaneously monumental and intimate Sibelius Hall, the new home of the world-renowned Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

An exhibition catalog produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, accompanies the exhibition.

The Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America is at 58 Park Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets). For information, 212-879-9779 or www.scandinaviahouse.org.