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Concepción Inaugurates Finnish Exhibition "Wise Wood"

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Concepción is currently hosting the international exhibition "Wise Wood," a journey through 30 years of research and design in wood construction developed by the renowned Wood Program of Aalto University in Finland.

The exhibition, open to the general public until November 25th in the Archbishopric's Exhibition Hall, arrives in the city thanks to the collaboration between the School of Architecture at San Sebastián University (USS), the Embassy of Finland, Corma, Madera21, Arauco, and Territoria.

The exhibition's goal is to highlight sustainable design and show how wood has enabled the development of innovative architectural solutions in housing, public buildings, pavilions, high-rise constructions, and even saunas. The display brings together models, mock-ups, and documents that trace the evolution of the Finnish academic program over three decades.

A Bridge Between Finland and Biobío

For the Embassy of Finland, the arrival of "Wise Wood" reaffirms a long-standing bond between both countries. First Secretary Antti Kauttonen emphasized that this initiative is part of over 50 years of cooperation in the forestry sector.

"After its stop in Santiago, we are very happy to bring it to Biobío, where a large part of the country's forestry sector is concentrated. Collaboration between academia, the public sector, and businesses is very characteristic of Finland, and seeing it happen here is a source of pride," he stated.

From the academic sphere, Stéphane Franck, director of the USS Concepción Architecture program, highlighted that this exhibition represents a decade of sustained work around sustainability and wood construction.

"Having models from the Aalto University workshop is a privilege. Our school, celebrating 20 years, has been promoting wood projects and building alliances for over a decade, which now allow 'Wise Wood' to be presented in southern Chile," he affirmed.

The exhibition's curator and Wood Program academic, Laura Zubillaga, equally valued the regional context.

"Visitors will find models, photographs, and documents from projects carried out over the last thirty years: homes, pavilions, high-rise buildings, and even saunas. It's a broad overview showing how wood architecture evolves," she commented.

She added that bringing the exhibition to Biobío "is especially significant, considering its strong forestry identity and its role in the development of wood architecture in Chile."

A Region Connecting with Contemporary Architecture

Margarita Celis, regional manager of Corma Biobío and Ñuble, emphasized that the arrival of "Wise Wood" is the result of partnerships that strengthen the bond between territory, industry, and academia.

"We are very pleased to host this exhibition of over thirty years of Finnish architecture here, in the country's forestry capital. We want to thank the joint work with San Sebastián University, Aalto University, and the Embassy of Finland for bringing a top-tier exhibition to Concepción," she concluded.