SKiB Campus

The SKiB Campus commissioned by the Swedish Cultural Foundation is situated along a green park axis in central Pori. The ensemble comprises two renovated buildings, a 1960s red-brick school and the Rosa Huset built in the 1930s, as well as a new extension that houses the Kulturhuset Fiini cultural centre. The campus combines education for schoolchildren of various ages with cultural activities for the surrounding community.

A blue wooden building and some utility buildings were torn down to make room for the new construction, Fiini. This creates a more open environment that slots in as a balanced element of the cityscape.

The bronze facade that winds around the playground and connects to the red-brick school building will patinate and darken with age. The material choices of the new building include brick with a slightly rough red surface. There is a reference to the shape of the old blue wooden building in the new facade, acknowledging the history of the site. 

The interior combines a range of functions and spaces. The library offers quiet reading areas by the windows, while the Fiini café overlooks the courtyard. The upper-secondary school facilities are arranged around the café’s tall lightwell, creating visual and acoustic connections between the different parts. 

The campus entails a number of technical elements, such as the positioning of the school gym above ground level at the juncture of the buildings. The renovations have included insightful alterations that promote the versatile use of the facilities. 

Source: Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2026 pre-selection jury