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From space technology and shimmering wood to shapeshifting textiles – explore world-changing research in the brand new Marsio building

The Makers of the Impossible exhibition and the Designs for a Cooler Planet festival will kick off the autumn season at Marsio – Aalto University’s brand new, open-to-all campus venue.
Designer Noora Yau's shimmering wood chrystals. Photo: Mikko Raskinen
Noora Yau, Anna Semi and Konrad Klockars have made shimmering crystals from wood. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

Designs for a Cooler Planet gathers innovative, experimental and creative concepts rooted in Aalto University's research, showcasing ideas aimed at transformative change. 

Seemingly impossible challenges are addressed with multidisciplinarity, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. The projects on display encompass a range of developmental stages, from speculative concepts and prototypes to pilots and commercially viable solutions. 

Experience eye-opening research projects that answer these questions:

  • Can a textile change its shape or self-clean?
  • What kind of health technology and services can be created by utilising design processes in a healthcare environment?
  • How we replace synthetic pigments with non-toxic colours?
  • Can we create biodegradable optical fibre from wood?
  • How can we transform hard-to-utilise roots, trunks or branches into usable materials?
  • Can we replicate indoors, where we spend the majority of our time, the outdoor nature experience that’s known to enhance well-being?
  • How can we embrace and preserve nature's biodiversity while considering the welfare of other living beings?
  • What methods are used to study the sun?

The sixth annual Designs for a Cooler Planet festival showcases the potential for a sustainable future when research, arts and design join forces.

 

The Designs for a Cooler Planet festival is one of the three main events of Helsinki Design Week. The festival's exhibitions will be showcased on campus and in the new Marsio building from 6 September to 3 October, 2024. Information about open events and guided tours will be available at the beginning of August on Cooler Planet's main page.

The Marsio building, set to open in the heart of the Otaniemi campus in September, is a tribute to the creative pioneer, architect, designer, entrepreneur and Aalto alumna Aino Marsio-Aalto. Aino and Alvar Aalto's architectural firm triumphed in the Otaniemi site plan design competition in 1949.

The new building not only offers exceptional facilities for teaching and research but also for hosting events.

In September at Marsio, visitors can explore seven groundbreaking examples from the first 15 years of Aalto University under the same theme "Makers of the Impossible." How does one build a quantum revolution, sustain a growing population within planetary boundaries and provide access to university education for all Finnish children — making what may seem impossible possible? After encountering the quantum garden and witnessing Finland's first satellite, guests can relax in a cozy cafe or drop by the Aalto Shop.

These are just a few examples of what you can see in September!

Magnificent materials

Material literacy as an antidote for climate anxiety.

Transparent materials made out of wood

Bioeconomy 2.0

Unseen bio-based materials.

Wooden crystals

Entangled – Reimagining textile functionalities

Interdisciplinary collaboration transforming smart textiles.

Bobbing lace butterfly, an interactive textile piece part of Entangled exhibition.

BioColour: sustainable colour aesthetics

Transforming fashion by getting rid of toxic colours.

Sofia Ilmonen Biocolour

Innovation in health care

From unmet medical needs to innovations.

Aura Pyykönen pitching in the ice hole, photo by Polar Bear Pitching

Designs for a Cooler Planet

Designs for a Cooler Planet

A glimpse of hope for a better future. The annual Designs for a Cooler Planet festival showcases thought-provoking prototypes, experiments, and perspectives offering a glimpse of hope for a better future.

Distorted reflection of two people outside at Otaniemi campus

Radical Creativity

There is no set recipe for changing the world. It takes courage and grit to boldly create something new without fearing failure.

Three-part image: yellow flower and text Marsio on the left, image of Aino-Marsio-Aalto in the middle, Aalto logo on the right

Marsio

Marsio, the campus open-to-all meeting place, will open its doors in September 2024.

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