Sponda Plc: Makkaratalo's KITE+DART installation in place

Sponda Plc                                                Press release 17 May 2017 at 13:30

Sponda Plc: Makkaratalo's KITE+DART installation in place

Sponda Plc and Citycenter shopping centre organised earlier this year a design competition for arts and design students to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Helsinki's much-loved Makkaratalo ("The Sausage Building"). From the entries received, the jury chose KITE+DART to enhance the facade of this landmark building which is now in place.

The KITE+DART installation was created by Eveliina Juuri, a design student from Aalto University. Its geometric pattern is inspired by Keskuskatu's distinctive paving design. The pattern, formed by sequences of two tiles, is referred to as Penrose tiling. The 200-metre-long installation is made from recycled advertising banners. In total, six banners, each 170 m², were needed to complete the work. The banners were provided by Wahlström Image Oy, also responsible for mounting the installation.

"The installation consists of 132 pieces patterned with a water jet cutter. I was very lucky to have my friends helping me with the cutting process, as each of the pieces measures 1.6 metres by 3 metres. Following the water jet cutting, the edges were reinforced for safe mounting. This was a demanding project as the 'sausage' is such a large building," explained Eveliina Juuri.

The KITE+DART installation will be unveiled officially on 18 May as part of the Lovely Helsinki festival, and will be on display in the heart of the city until the end of August.

"As a student, I'm thrilled to have been invited to create a piece for such a central and high profile site in Helsinki. I'm really looking forward to hearing people's feedback. Personally, I'm really pleased with it. We had to introduce some changes to my original design but, now that the installation is complete, it's a perfect match with my original vision and represents my style," added Juuri.

An urban shopping centre festival will be taking place at the Citycenter shopping centre on 19-20 May. It promises to be a fun day for all with delicious food, exciting live performers, plenty of shopping and a wealth of special offers. The line up for the day includes Diandra, Nikke Ankara and Herbalisti.

Sponda Plc
 
Additional information: Tiina Fågel, Citycenter's Shopping Centre Manager, +358 50 427 4091
                                     Marianna Viirre, Citycenter's Marketing Manager, +358 40 566 1858