Who
Kivi Sotamaa
Short Biography
Kivi Sotamaa [1971] is Visiting Professor at UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design. Previously he has held positions at the Ohio State University and the Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Institut für Architektur in Vienna. He is the principal of SOTAMAA DESIGN ltd. Until 2005 he was one of the founders and principals of OCEAN NORTH.
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Sotamaa explores the dramaturgical powers of architecture. His work draws both on the expressionist powers of topological work and the impressionist ambitions of minimalist architecture. His forms are instilled with vivid sensations of movement resulting in sensuous environments which occupy an area between the architectural and the organic, between the building and the body. He pursues his interests across scales, ranging from the manufacture of small products to large-scale building design.
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Sotamaa’s creative work is widely published and exhibited. His work has been exhibited by MoMA, the Wexner Centre for the Arts, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Fondazione Trussardi and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa. Publications featuring his work include the New York Times, Phaidon’s 10×10 Architects [1&2], New Scandinavian Design, Forum Sweden, AD, Praxis, Kenhiku Bunka, L’Arca and Domus. His most current projects are Saunalahti Public School and Orchid House, a permanent pavilion to be constructed in 2009 in Helsinki.
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Sotamaa holds a Masters degree from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki [UIAH] and in addition has studied at the Helsinki University of Technology and the Royal College of Art in London.
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email: kivi(at)sotamaa.net
Lapimurto / Breakthrough - Documentary profile of Kivi Sotamaa
Projects
2007
High Power
Comissioned Design of a landmark highpower electricity mast for FinGrid ltd
In process
Kivi Sotamaa
Saunalahti School
Open competition for a design of a school in Finland
In process
Kivi Sotamaa with Antti Ahlava and Gabriel Esquivel
House Haapamaki
Design for a 500m2 private house in Kaarina Finland
Kivi Sotamaa & Tuuli Sotamaa
2006
High Emotion Audio
Design of a collection of loudspeakers for High Emotion Audio ltd.
Kivi Sotamaa
Snow
Design of a collection of contemporary outdoor furniture for Wood Classics ltd
Kivi Sotamaa with Tuuli Sotamaa
Aires
Invited competition winner, Organic Food food department store design on Mexico City. Pending realisation.
Kivi Sotamaa with Garbiel Esquivel
Vortex
300 Unit low cost Housing + restaurant spa and bowling alley for Columbus Ohio.
Kivi Sotamaa with Gabriel Esquivel
Orchid House phase 2
Final design and constrction for a Pavilion building in Helsinki Finland
Construction takes place 2006-07
Kivi Sotamaa and Tuuli Sotamaa
Flowers for PS1
PS1 Youngf Architects competition finalist entry
Kivi Sotamaa
Extreme Textiles
Exhibition design for the Wexner Center for the Arts
Kivi Sotamaa
2005
link-it
Concept and design for a 15000m2 library & cultural center in Helsinki Finland,
Kivi Sotamaa with Antti Ahlava, MINGLE project
Estonian National Museum
International architecture competition
Kivi Sotamaa with Antti Ahlava, MINGLE project
ORCA
Furniture prototype for Salone di Mobili, Milan Italy,
Kivi Sotamaa
Birds in Space
Design and building of a 2.5 meter study model of a highrise building concept.
Comissioned by the Helsinki International -Festival September 2005, Helsinki Finland.
Kivi Sotamaa and Tuuli Sotamaa
2004
Jyvaskyla Music and Art Center
Building design proposal for Venice Architecture Biennale 2004, Italy
Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum, Model by Michael Hensel & AA students
Spanish Dancer
Pavilion for the inauguration of the 21st Century Museum of Art Kanazawa
Kivi Sotamaa
Frozen
Commisioned design for a snowbuilding with Ernesto Neto during the 2004 Snowshow, Kemi, Finland
Tuuli & Kivi Sotamaa, with Ernesto Neto
2003
Roosa
Commisioned interactive media installation for a private collection,
design and realisation, Helsinki, Finland
Kivi Sotamaa with Juha Huuskonen
Mantaray
Ceramic dishes, Milan, Italy
Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa
Greyscale/CMYK
Design and construction of an exhibition architecture for Network North at Tramway Art Centre, Glasgow, UK
Kivi Sotamaa & Michael Hensel
2002
Formations
Design, construction and manufacturing of an installation and products commisioned by Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Milan, Italy
Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa
Suunto interiors
Commisioned design for the offices and public spaces of Suunto ltd, Helsinki, Finland
Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa
Ionic.nifca.org
Design and programming of a virtual gallery for Nordic Institute of Contemporary Art, NIFCA, Helsinki, Finland,
Kivi Sotamaa with Juha Huuskonen
The New World Trade Center
Commisioned design for the New World Trade Centre by the Max Protetcht Gallery,New York, USA
OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa, Birger Sevaldson, Michael Hensel
2001
ARS 01
Exhibition architecture design and contruction for Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland, OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa, Michael Hensel
2000
Narva Masterplan
Pre-Masterplan Urban Design Study, commissioned by the Narva City Planning Office, Narva, Estonia
OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Kivi Sotamaa & Michael Hensel
Landscraper - Urban Ringbridge
Bridge Design, commissioned by the NRW Forum for Culture and Economy, Düsseldorf, Germany
OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Kivi Sotamaa & Michael Hensel
Intencities
Installation design and contruction at Artgenda 2000, Baltic Region Young Artist Biennial, Helsinki, Finland
Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa
Multiplicity
Installation design and contruction at Kiasma Museum of Modern Art, Helsinki, Finland,
Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa
1999
a_drift NYT Time Capsules
Invited Competition finalist entry, New York City, USA
OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Kivi & Tuuli Sotamaa, Birger Sevaldson, Michael Hensel
Holiday Inn Express Hotel Vatakerasen
Commissioned Design for airport hotel, Sandefjord, Norway
OCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Johan Bettum, Kivi Sotamaa, Birger Sevaldson, Michael Hensel
1998
Chamberworks
Design and construction of an architectural Installation, RAM Gallery, Oslo, NorwayOCEAN NORTH collaborative project, Johan Bettum, Kivi Sotamaa, Birger Sevaldson, Michael Hensel
1997
Jyväskylä Music and Art Centre
Competition Entry, Jyväskylä, Finland
Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum
Tölöö Football Arena
Competition Entry, Helsinki, Finland
Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum
Finnish Embassy
Competition Entry, Canberra, Australia
Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum
Valo Festival of Finnish Culture
Exhibition Design & Construction, Barbican Centre, London, UK
Kivi Sotamaa & Markus Holmsten
1996
Extraterrain
Furniture in one-off production, Helsinki, Finland
Kivi Sotamaa & Markus Holmsten
Publications
2007
AD Elegance
Frozen Void: The Elegant Affect of the Evolved Object,
Sotamaa, Kivi. (2007). Architectural Design. 77(1), 24-27.
2006
Arttu
Mood, Athmosphere, Motion and Emotion in Architecture
Article by Kivi Sotamaa
Kauppalehti VIP Magazine
Interview of Kivi Sotamaa on ‘Wow Architecture’
http://www.digipaper.fi/vip/1932/index.php?pgnumb=24
AD Morphogenetic Design
Jyvaskyla Music and Art Center featured
2005
The Snow Show,
Catalogue edited by Lance Fung
Frozen by Kivi Sotamaa with Ernesto Neto and Tuuli Sotamaa, Thames & Hudson
L’ARCA
Projects by Kivi Sotamaa, Tuuli Sotamaa, Italy
Helsingin Sanomat
link-it cultural center. Visions by Kivi Sotamaa and OSU Graduate students
Muoto
link-it
FIN Form & Function Finland
numerous articles by Kivi Sotamaa
Polyphony- Emerging Resonances, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Catalogue,
Spanish Dancer, Japan
Blobjects and Beyond Exhibition Catalogue,
Frozen by Kivi Sotamaa & Tuuli Sotamaa, San Jose USA
10X10 Architects 2
Phaidon, OCEAN NORTH and projects
Forum
link-it, Orca
PEN
Japan, interview of Kivi Sotamaa
2004
New Scandinavian Design,
Edited Katherine Nelson and Raul Cabra,
Formations and MantaRay by Kivi Sotamaa, USA
Is It All About Image – book by Wiley
Selected projects and an interview of Kivi Sotamaa by Laura Iloniemi, London UK
Busan biennale Exhibition Catalogue,
Extraterrain by Kivi Sotamaa, South Korea
Design Yearbook
Edited by Karim Rashid
Extraterrain by Kivi Sotamaa
PRAXIS 6
Greg Lynn article, Constellations in Practice,
Selected projects
AD, Architectural Design, Emergence - Morphogenetic Design Strategies,
AD Wiley Academy,
OCEAN NORTH projects
in preparation, London, UK
AD, Architectural Design, Digital Tectonics , AD Wiley Academy,
OCEAN NORTH projects
London, UK
Landscape Urbanism , AA Publications, London, England
OCEAN NORTH projects
in preparation, London, UK
Developing Digital Architecture, Ed. Yu-Tung Liu, Birkhäuser, pp.35-37, ISBN 957-28873-0-0
OCEAN NORTH projects
Basel, Switzerland
Innovation, Ed. Alexandra Papadakis, New Architecture,
pp. 90-93, ISBN 0-06-05016-7
OCEAN NORTH projects
in preparation, London, UK
NEXUS, Architecture and Mathematics
Driven by the Sublime, article by Kivi Sotamaa
2003
Ottagono, projects and article by Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi,
March issue, Milan, Italy
The New York Times, Goodbye “Fountainhead,” Hello Kibbutz
article by Christopher Hawthorne with interview of Kivi Sotamaa on collaborations in Architecture
New York, USA
Experimenta, projects
July issue, 45, Madrid, Spain
MUOTO, series of columns on experimental design and architecture in the new MUOTO –design magazine, Helsinki, Finland
2002
Latent Utopias, projects, exhibition catalogue edited by Zaha Hadid & Patrik Schumacher, Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria
Interni, Formations by Tuuli & Kivi Sotamaa,
July issue, Milan, Italy
10+1, projects
Tokyo, Japan
AD Architectural Design, OCEAN NORTH practice profice by Christopher Hight,
Furniture + Architecture issue, vol 4, London, UK
A New World Trade Centre, The World Center -design proposal,
book publication by Max Protetch, New York, USA
Ottagono, Formations by Tuuli & Kivi Sotamaa,
July, Milan, Italy
CA Press, projects,
April issue, Soeul, South Korea
AD Architectural Design, projects and Vigorous Environments article by Michael Hensel & Kivi Sotamaa,
Contemporary Processes in Architecture -issue, March, London, UK
40/40 Finnish Architects, projects, book publication by Rakennustieto, June, Helsinki, Finland
2001
Kenchiku Bunka, projects,
Issue 652, April, Japan
AD Architectural Design, projects,
Contemporary Techniques in Architecture -issue, Wiley Academy, London, UK
10×10 Architects, projects,
book publication by Phaidon, USA
Hybrid Space, projects,
book publication by Thames and Hudson, USA
Domus, projects and Urban Surfaces -essay by Kivi Sotamaa,
Jan issue, no. 822, pp. 32 – 35, Italy
1999
The New York Times, Töölö Stadium and article - At Last, Buildings are the Stuff of Dreams by Herbert Muschamp,
Nov. 14, New York, USA
The Interview Magazine, Hot Hot Hot, We Struck Gold, New Talents: Kivi Sotamaa, New York, USA
Archis , Chamberworks
November issue, p. 11, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Times Out of the Forest and into the Barbican –review of the exhibition architecture by Kivi Sotamaa & Markus Holmsten for the Barbican Center Valo- Festival, by Hillary Finch, Nov. 19, London, UK
Blueprint, exhibition architecture by Kivi Sotamaa & Markus Holmsten for the Barbican Center Valo- Festival, London, UK
AA Files The OCEAN net – Becoming Unlimited By Ben Van Berkel & Caroline Bos June issue, no 33, pp. 84 – 87, London, UK
Exhibitions
Private shows
2002
Formations
Installation and products, April-June 2002, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi , Milan, Italy
1998
Chamberworks
Installation, June 1998, RAM Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1997
Urban Surfaces II
Projects, December 1997 – January 1998, Henie Onstad Art Centre, Oslo, Norway
1996
Urban Surfaces I
Projects, September 1996, Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, UK
Group shows
2007
Double Edge
Kivi Sotamaa’s work in a joint exhibition with BowWow architects at UCLA gallery October 12 - November 16
Transparent
Frozen sculptures exhibited in Fiskars Finland
2006
Young Architects Program at MoMA
Flowers for PS1 at MoMA June 20–September 24, 2006
The Fashion of Architecture CONSTRUCTING the Architecture of Fashion
Center for Architecture, NY, January 11–March 11, 2006
2005
Helsinki International
Birds in Space, comissioned high rise study for a group exhibition in Helsinki, Finland
Blobjects and Beyond, San Jose Museum of Contemporary Art
San Jose, USA
Polyphony- Emerging Resonances, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Spanish Dancer
Kanazawa, Japan
New Trends of Architecture in Europe and Asia-Pacific 2004-05′
Recent Projects
Lille, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Tokyo, Cork and Madrid
2004
The Architecture Biennale in Venice
Jyvaskyla Music and Art Centre,
September, Venice, Italy
Busan Biennale Contemporary Art Exhibition
Recent Projects
21 August to 31 October 2004.
Busan Metropolitan Art Museum
The Snowshow
A snowbuilding for the 2004 Snowshow in collaboration with the artist Ernesto Neto. February-March 2004, Kemi, Finland
2003
Sense and sensation -exhibition at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
Roosa -Interactive media-art installation
Helsinki, Finland
Latent Utopias, Styrian Autumn in Graz
Installation and projects at ‘Latent Utopia’ exhibition curated by Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher at the Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria
2002
XIII Bienal de Santiago de Chile
DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE : DIGITAL SPACES
Santiago, Oct. 4 – 12, 2002, Estacion Cultural Mapocho
The National Building Museum
‘A new World Trade Center’ Exhibiton at the National Building Museum,
Washington DC from 7 April to early June 2002.
Vitra Design Museum
‘A new World Trade Center’ Exhibiton at the Vitra Design Museum in
Berlin from July to August 2002.
The Architecture Biennale in Venice
‘A new World Trade Center’ Exhibiton at the Architecture Biennale in
Venice from 4 September to 24 November 2002.
Mood River
Extraterrain furniture at the Mood River Exhibition curated by Jeffrey Kipnis at Wexner Centre for Arts in February 2002, Ohio, USA
2001
ARS 01
Extarterrain furniture at the ARS 01 exhibition in September 2001-January 2002 at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
Architecturverein Tirol
Projects, Social Space exhibition in January 2001 at Architecturverein Tirol in Innsbruck, Austria.
2000
Living Bridges
Landscraper –Urban Ring Brindge at Living Bridges exhibition in July – August 2000 at NRW - Forum Kultur und Wissenschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany
Calvino memos
Multiplicities installation at the Calvino Memos -exhibition in April 2001, Kontti gallery, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
Die Natur der Dinge
Extraterrain at the Die Natur der Dinge, NRW - Forum Kultur und Wissenschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany
Capturing Time – The New York Times Capsule
Capturing Time – The New York Times Capsule, December 1999, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
Freeway
Projects and Mosquitos-installation at Freeway – IV Nordic Triennial of Architecture, September 1999, Estonian Museum of Architecture,Tallinn, Estonia
Adaptive Technologies and Smart Materials
Projects, Adaptive Technologies and Smart Materials, November 1998, Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, UK
Lectures
2007
LACE Gallery [LA Forum]
Butterfly Affect - lecture on November 1
UCLA
Stream, Swirls and Torrents - lecture on October 1
UPenn
All the World’s a Stage - lecture on
Azul Rey, Mexico
Speaker at Azul Rey Conference in Mexico City February 13-17
Seduction, Yale
Speaker at the Seduction Symposium at Yale University January 17-18
2006
UIAH Helsinki, Finland
All the World is a Stage - lecture at Mood and Athmosphere in Architecture symposium at UIAH, Helsinki, Finland
2005
UIAH Helsinki, Finland
Buterfly Affect lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
Scandinavia House, New York, NY
Wasp and the Orchid Lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
Design Exchange, Toronto , Canada
Wasp and the Orchid Lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
CCAD San Francisco, CA
Wasp and the Orchid Lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
2004
MIT NSP Non Standard Praxis in Architecture conference
Blending in Architecture lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
Rice University
Adventures in Form, Houston, Texas
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City. Architecture and Mathematics conference
Driven by the Sublime – lecture by Kivi Sotamaa
2003
University of Pennsylvania
Recent work, Dec. 22, Philadelphia, US
2002
Steirischer Herbst
Member of the Panel discussion at the Latent Utopias Conference, November,
Graz, Austria
Wexner Centre for the Arts
Presentation at the I am a Material…-conference, Feb. 2, Columbus Ohio, USA
Architectural Association School of Architecture
dCoded, Public Evening lecture, Jan. 18, London, UK
2001
Architectural Association School of Architecture
Invited lecturer at the Transitions Conference, July, London, UK
University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH
Invited lecturer at the Future Home Institute Conference UIAH, May, Helsinki, Finland
2000
Alvar Aalto Symposium
presentation, Jyväskylä, Finland
Skidmore, Owings & Merril SOM -NYC office
Recent work, New York, USA
San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art, SFMOMA
10×10 Architects launch event by Phaidon, San Fransisco, USA
1999
The Nordic Baltic Triennial symposium
Recent work, Tallinn, Estonia
1998
University of East London, Department of Architecture
Topologies, London, UK
Oslo Architectural Association
05 December 1999 at NAL Det Norske Arkitektakademi, Oslo, Norway
OSU, Knowlton School of Architecture
Inivited presenter at the Microscopic Processes in Design –conference, 19 – 21 February, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1997-2003
Architectural Association School of Architecture AA,
University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH,
Helsinki University of Technology HUT,
Oslo School of Architecture AHO,
Numerous lectures in the above institutions since 1997
Juries
2008
Upenn
Homa Farjadi and Ali Rahim final reviews
University of Applied Arts Vienna
Wolf Prix, Greg Lynn, Hernan Diaz Alonso final reviews
The Ohio State University
Jeffrey Kipnis & Jesse Reiser review
2007
UCLA
Thom Mayne and Neil Denari research studios
Yale
Ali Rahim studio
University of Applied Arts Vienna
External Examiner to studios of Zaha Hadid, Greg Lynn & Wolf Prix
2006
UPenn
Ali Rahim studio, Shawn Rickenbacker studio
UCLA
Greg Lynn studio, Dave Erdman studio, Mark Lee studio, Dagmar Richter studio
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City
Student Competition critic
2005
Columbia University
Hernan Diaz Alonso studio, Alisa Andrasek studio
New York, NY
Ryerson University
Invited Critic, Toronto, Canada
2004
Rice University
Urban Research Studio
Houston, Texas
Columbia University
Kipnis & Lynn studio, several visits, Galia Solomonoff Studio
New York, NY
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City
Invited critic
2003
University of Applied Arts Vienna
Greg Lynn Studio
2002
Haute Ecole d’Arts Appliqués (HES-SO)
Critic, Industrial design, graduating glass Jury, Lausanne, Switzerland
Castelmola Art Museum Invited Competition
Critic, Castelmola, Sicily, Italy
FEIDAD, The 2002 Far Eastern Digital Architectural Design Award
Critic
2001
FEIDAD, The 2001 Far Eastern Digital Architectural Design Award
Critic
Narva City Centre Urban Planning Competition
Critic, Narva, Estonia
NOKIA Asia Pacific -Region Fine Art Awards
Critic, Seoul, Korea
2000
AHO; Oslo School of Architecture
Konseptdesign –course, final jury, Oslo, Norway
Berlage Institute
MA Course jury, van Berkel & Bos, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1997- 2003
Architectural Association School of Architecture
Critic , Diploma Unit 4, Various juries, London, UK.
Teaching
2007 -
UCLA School of Architecture and Urban Design
Visiting Professor
Los Angeles, California
2006
Universitry of Applied Arts Vienna
Visiting Professor
Vienna, Austria
2004 - 2008
Knowlton School of Architecture, the Ohio State University
Assistant Professor, Graduate Design
Columbus, Ohio
2003
UIAH, Department of Architectural Design
Workshop leader, Modes of Transition in Architectural Modeling – one month workshop, Helsinki, Finland
2002
AA School of Architecture, Emergent Technologies Graduate programme
visiting staff, London, UK
2001
AA School of Architecture, Design Research Lab DRL,
Workshop leader, London, UK
1997-2003
AA School of Architecture,
Oslo School of Architecture AHO,
University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH
Numerous teaching engagements in all of the above institutions since 1997