The founders of AFKS Architects have been awarded the Prince Eugen Medal

In 1945, King Gustaf V of Sweden established an award to commemorate the 80th birthday of Prince Eugen. The Prince Eugen Medal is awarded annually to Nordic artists for outstanding artistic work.

This year, Finnish architects Jari Frondelius, Jaakko Keppo and Juha Salmenperä, founding partners of AFKS / Architects Frondelius + Keppo + Salmenperä, were awarded these prestigious medals for the work of their office, known in particular for school and daycare centre buildings. According to the award statement, they have been able to create an architectural experience and a warm and stimulating atmosphere in their buildings with simple, creative solutions that focus on the comfort of children.

The statement also praises AFKS's focus on sustainable and economic solutions. According to the statement, the architects' knowledge of traditional, resilient solutions is an alternative to today's overly technology-driven methods, and the firm’s work is an excellent example of what can be achieved with a holistic approach.

Before Frondelius, Keppo and Salmenperä, six Finnish architects have been awarded the medal in its 80-year history: Alvar Aalto in 1954, Viljo Revell in 1963, Reima Pietilä in 1981, Juha Leiviskä in 1994, Kristian Gullichsen in 2004, and Rainer Mahlamäki in 2017.

"We were truly taken by surprise by this unexpected honour we were granted. It feels incredible that our work has been recognised in this way alongside the great Finnish architects. It was with humility and great gratitude that we accepted these prestigious medals from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden," says Juha Salmenperä.

"The award was granted for the work of our office, which has, in its 26 years of existence, involved a large number of our colleagues. We have also had the privilege of working with knowledgeable clients. We feel that the award is a tribute to us all and, furthermore, to Finnish architecture in general," says Jaakko Keppo.

"We strive to create responsible, long-lasting architecture and meaningful places that touch people on an emotional level. The recognition we have received underlines our responsibility to create a good and sustainable environment, on a human, neighbourhood and planetary scale. It reinforces our confidence that we are on the right track", says Jari Frondelius.

AFKS is known for its schools, kindergartens and timber architecture

Frondelius, Keppo and Salmenperä founded AFKS in 1998 after winning the architectural competition for the Korso church and parish centre. Since then, the firm has specialised in designing learning environments, and its portfolio already includes a total of nineteen school and daycare centre buildings.

In 2023, AFKS won the Finlandia Prize for Architecture for the Martta Wendelin daycare centre in Tuusula, Finland. The firm's recent school and daycare centre buildings have been built of wood.

"We want to use building materials that create a warm atmosphere and are pleasant to touch. Getting to the emotional level of architecture requires a strong engagement with the user experience to create a feeling of a special place built for them. In addition to building materials, we utilise the basic architectural elements: scale and light. We believe that successful architecture comes from simple and clear principles," says Jari Frondelius.

"Design always starts with the building site, but in addition to the site’s physical characteristics, the neighbourhood’s abstract characteristics must be absorbed and taken into account. A successful building offers a multi-level experience achieved with simple and subtle gestures and enriching everyday life. Schools and daycare centres are not only significant public buildings in their neighbourhood and communal place-makers, they are also buildings for everyday use that need to be sustainable and economical. A building must be a sustainable part of its environment," says Jaakko Keppo.

"Longevity is an inherent criterion in our design work. We hope that the nature and character of the buildings we design can evolve over the years because, although a building is designed for a specific use, it must also adapt to changing needs and new activities in the future. We also hope that, instead of demolition, repairing and reusing an old building would always be a priority," says Juha Salmenperä.

In addition to learning environments, AFKS also designs other public buildings and their refurbishments. For example, currently, they are working on Helsinki Zoo’s new wooden entrance pavilion to be completed next year, and earlier this year, the renovation of Tapiola Church and Parish Centre, a béton brut masterpiece by Aarno Ruusuvuori, completed in 1965, was a nominee for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture.

Prestigious Nordic award for art

The Prince Eugen Medal is awarded annually on 5 November, the prince's birthday. This year's medals were presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf on 14 November. In addition to Jari Frondelius, Jaakko Kepo and Juha Salmenperä, the medals were awarded to designer and artist Carina Seth Andersson, photographer Gerry Johansson, and artist, Professor Anette Senneby. All the other medallists this year are Swedish.

Previous Finnish medallists in fields other than architecture include sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen, designer Kaj Franck, sculptor Kain Tapper, designer Tapio Wirkkala, textile artist Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, designer Oiva Toikka, sculptor Martti Aiha, and designer Eero Aarnio.

Among Prince Eugen Medal laureates are Nordic architects Sigurd Lewerentz (Sweden), Sverre Fehn (Norway), Henning Larsen (Denmark), Johan Celsing (Sweden), Ralph Erskine (Sweden), Gert Wingårdh (Sweden), Jan Gehl (Denmark), Lene Tranberg (Denmark), and Dorte Mandrup (Denmark).

This year marked the 78th time the Royal House of Sweden presented the medals, as they have been awarded annually since 1945 with only two exceptions.