Untitled - Triangle Modernist Houses

1Aerial view of Vallingby2Vatlingby Centermost people can afford, not justthe upper half as in the US.But of all the new developmentsI saw, those outside Helsinki are,especially from an architectural,quality, and visual point of view,better and more attractive thanany others. Tapiola, only fivemiles outside Helsinki, wasstarted in 1951 and has limitedits population to about 17,000people. By now much of thetown is completed and functioning.While it was built by privateinitiative, and many people owntheir own homes (mainly rowhouses) or cooperative apartments,certainly Tapiola is hardlya speculative real estate developmentin the US sense. Built atvery low density (26 people peracre), it is really a garden city inthe best sense of the word in anatural setting of great beauty,with many lakes amidst slightlyrolling hills, beautiful birches,and tall pine trees.In mid-August, with the sun stillhigh and the days very long inthis northern land, the flowerseverywhere seemed to glow withcolor; the landscaping and plantingof Tapiola is one of its outstandingattractions. The wholeplan as well as the individuallydesigned areas and buildingsseemed to act together to form athoroughly and happy environment.And this at a price thatthe vast majority of young familiescan afford. Nowhere in theUS have I seen- at any price -a more attractive community withsuch a variety of housing built tosuch high qualitative and designstandards and offering to its inhabitantsso much in terms ofpleasant living (from all kinds ofcultural and educational facilities,including a theater and concerthall to all kinds of sports facilities,indoor and outdoor recreation).The equivalent to our publichousing built as new residentialcommunities outside Helsinki oncity owned land is well designedand of excellent quality. Eachcommunity has its own shoppingcenter and is planned completewith schools and transportationfacilities into Helsinki. Pihlajamakiis one of these communitieswith not only a shopping centerbut also an industrial park.In both Stockholm and Oslo newsubway extensions have beenbuilt to connect the principalnew housing areas with the centralcity. This new public transportation-which runs mainlyabove ground outside town- isclean, efficient and run by thegovernment. lt is intended andmaintained as a service to thepeople, rather than trying tomake a profit off their need.In fact, the basic attitude towardshousing in the Scandinaviancountries vastly differs from ours$:IF_rf,:I![*+12 NC'FITH CAFIC'LINA AFICHITECT