Arto Sipinen

20.04.1936, Helsinki - 23.12.2017

Architect 1961, Helsinki University of Technology

In the 1950s and 60s Arto Kalevi Sipinen made study tours to Belgium and France as well as Germany, Italy and Austria. Just before graduating he worked with Alvar Aalto’s office, after graduating with Viljo Revell in 1961–62 and Olli Kivinen in 1963–65. Since then he has had a private office.

Sipinen has designed numerous public buildings – town halls, concert halls and university buildings. Many of his assignments have followed from success in architectural competitions.

Sipinen’s town halls include those built in Imatra in 1970 (designed together with Mane Hetzer), Raisio in 1981 and Mäntsälä in 1992. He is also known for his cultural buildings, such as the Imatra Cultural Centre from 1986, the Mikaeli Concert and Congress Centre in Mikkeli from 1988, the Espoo Cultural Centre from 1989 and the Lahti Library building from 1990.

A recurrent client of Sipinen is the University of Jyväskylä, for which he has designed buildings since the mid-1970s, first next to Alvar Aalto’s campus area and from the 1980s on to other sites.

Sipinen’s work from the 21st century includes the landmark of Jyväskylä centre, the Innova office tower, the Dynamo IT institute built next to it, and the Frami centre of technology and innovation in Seinäjoki.

The museum does not have Arto Sipinen’s drawings in its collection.