In the heart of
Finnish Archipelago

Block 1 is a significant commercial city block located in the heart of the centre of Parainen. The block’s development project began at the New Parainen! -workshop, where it was one of six development areas chosen in Parainen. The design draft created in collaboration with Arkkitehtuuritoimisto Heikki Muntola served as a basis for the reference scenario and the alteration of plan, as well as for further planning. Inspired by the art of Antoni Gaudi and Salvador Dalí, artHouse is the first step in the revitalisation of Block 1 and the centre of Parainen.

Inspired by the art of Antoni Gaudi and Salvador Dalí

The current one-storey commercial building is in poor condition and will be demolished and replaced with a three-storey commercial and residential building. The business premises are located at street level facing the pedestrian zone, and the parking spaces are on the courtyard side. The top floors of the building are devoted to living. The flats facing the courtyard are two-storey loft flats, and the flats facing the pedestrian zone close in around a balcony which is recessed from the facade of the building.

The facades of the commercial premises facing the pedestrian zone have recognisable arched brick openings, whilst the flats situated above are more private in nature, opening onto the recessed balcony. The primary material of the facades is exposed brick, and the roof surfaces are made of matte finish zinc sheet.

ART BANK

Art Bank is a unique Fine Arts Gallery in Pargas, Finland. The Salvador Dalí Private Exhibition presents stunning Dali sculptures, furniture, paintings and other pieces of Dalí. The Art Bank Gallery comprehends quality art by Finnish and international front row artists. Both visitors and collectors are welcome to Art Bank.

WWW.ARTBANK.FI!

Architect Studio Puisto

We believe that constructing in a sustainable manner pays off. Ecological, economical and social ambitions come together in our projects – without compromising on a beautiful and functional end result. We are experts in ecological construction and sustainable material and energy solutions.

The design process always starts from the needs and wishes of the client as well as from the unique character of the place. We work with private clients and businesses as well as with the public sector, and the scales we work in vary from big to small. Our happy clients and partners together with international success in competitions tell on our expertise.

We find it important to build a culture of sustainable design in Finland. We are active speakers for ecological solutions and a part of the Uusi Kaupunki collective, with which we breathe new life into urban planning.

WWW.STUDIOPUISTO.FI

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Spanish architect known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, one-of-a-kind style. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família.

Gaudí's work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion. He considered every detail of his creations and integrated into his architecture such crafts as ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He also introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís which used waste ceramic pieces.

Under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by natural forms. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and moulding the details as he conceived them.

Salvador Dalí

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Dalí de Púbol (11 May 1904 – 23 January 1989), known professionally as Salvador Dalí, was a prominent Spanish surrealist born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931. Dalí's expansive artistic repertoire included film, sculpture, and photography, at times in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.

Dalí attributed his "love of everything that is gilded and excessive, my passion for luxury and my love of oriental clothes to an "Arab lineage", claiming that his ancestors were descendants of the Moors.

Dalí was highly imaginative, and also enjoyed indulging in unusual and grandiose behavior. To the dismay of those who held his work in high regard, and to the irritation of his critics, his eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork.