Exhibitions

Best not to Demolish

Aika 18.03.2026
31.12.2027

The Best not to Demolish exhibition examines the demolition of buildings and its alternatives at a time when the built environment is being transformed faster than ever. The exhibition invites visitors to consider when demolition may be justified and when an existing building might instead be preserved, repaired or adapted for a new use.

Demolition of Espoo Municipal Office Building 2, 2021. Photo: Kamu Espoo City Museum / Virpi Talja Nerman.

In Finland, buildings are currently being demolished at nearly the same rate as during the peak demolition years of the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, a significant number of buildings were lost, including many Art Nouveau buildings and entire wooden town districts. Today, increasingly younger buildings are under threat of demolition, particularly the built environment from the 1960s and 1970s.

Construction accounts for roughly one third of Finland’s climate emissions and up to 40 per cent of all waste. When a building is demolished, a large amount of materials, energy and history connected to the built environment is lost at the same time. The exhibition explores the environmental impacts of demolition and highlights alternatives such as repair, maintenance and the adaptive reuse of buildings.

Finland also has a large number of vacant buildings: former schools, offices, hospitals and industrial buildings. Urbanisation, municipal mergers and changes in industry have left many buildings without a purpose. Best not to Demolish asks: could an empty building be the solution instead of constructing something new?

“The current wave of building demolition in Finland has prompted actors in the field of architecture to mobilise, also in the form of a civic campaign. ‘Best not to Demolish’ seeks, on the one hand, to call attention to unnecessary demolition projects and, on the other, to highlight the usability of existing – often vacant – buildings.”

Tommi Lindh, architect, initiator of the campaign and Managing Director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation

The exhibition also examines the culture of renovation. Wear does not necessarily mean damage, and the long lifespan of buildings is based on regular maintenance and carefully considered repairs.

Best not to Demolish is part of a nationwide campaign that aims to spark discussion about demolition and the future of buildings. The exhibition encourages visitors to view the built environment with fresh eyes – and to reflect on what kind of environment will be passed on to future generations.

Exhibition inquiries:
Tommi Lindh
CEO, Alvar Aalto Foundation
+358 44 562 1625
tommi.lindh@alvaraalto.fi