Vilhelm Helander

Vilhem Helander (born 1941), is a Finnish architect and was Professor of Architecture History at Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland from 1985 until 2006, when he became Professor Emeritus.

Helander qualified as an architect in 1967, and completed a further Licentiate degree in architecture in 1972.

In addition to his teaching work, Helander has a joint architect's office in Helsinki with architect Juha Leiviskä, Vilhelm Helander, Juha Leiviskä arkkitehdit SAFA.

Helander first came to prominence with the polemical book "Kenen Helsinki?" (Whose Helsinki?) (1970), written jointly with architect Mikael Sundman. This was a period when the building rights for many urban centres in Finland had been raised, allowing both owners and property developers to build larger buildings, the consequence of which was the destruction of much of the old urban fabric. In many cases, the historic facades were preserved and new buildings with denser areas were built behind them. Helander and Sundman's book was one of the first publications to bring the destruction of the historical Helsinki to public attention. One of the main examples was the development of the neoclassical Helsinki City Hall being vastly modified by architect Aarno Ruusuvuori. The book was awarded the prestigious Eino Leino Prize in 1971.

Helander went on to specialise in building conservation, both in teaching and in practice. Helander has also written widely on the subject of the history of Finnish architecture.

Helander is a member of the Finnish Association of Architects.

He is married to Elisabeth Helander, Director of Community Initiatives and Innovative Actions of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy of the European Commission.

A select list of building conservation works by Vilhelm Helander

*Finnish National Museum, Helsinki.
*Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki.
*House of the Estates, Helsinki.

References

*Vilhelm Helander, "Modern Architecture in Finland", Kirjayhtymä, Helsinki, 1995.
*Vilhelm Helander and Mikael Sundman, "Kenen Helsinki - raportti kantakaupungista", Porvoo, 1970. [in Finnish]