On Friday 27 May 2016 on Otaniemi campus, the foundation stone for the new building “Väre” was laid in ceremonial style. A metal cylinder containing the University Charter, pictures, coins and the day’s newspapers, was deposited at the northern end of the building as a ‘record for future generations’.

The building will be ready in autumn 2018, when it will become the home of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The School’s Dean, Anna Valtonen, was greatly pleased that the School will be brought together in one location, in place of the current situation with several spread-out locations.

The largest user group for Väre will be, of course, the students of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Kalle Keinonen and Miia Suomela are glad that Aalto will finally be able to meet its promises of bringing together people from different academic fields. Students brought to the foundation-laying ceremony a cherry tree sapling which will later be planted in the area. Attendees at the ceremony had the opportunity to write down their hopes for the new building on a slip of paper, which were then attached to the branches of the tree.

Dean Anna Valtonen commented that the new building symbolises Aalto University’s original idea of multidisciplinary encounters.

* The laying of foundation stone is a tradition for a great building. The ceremonious laying of the corner-stone of public buildings, especially of religious and institutions, has become a universal custom. The tradition is inherited from the ancient Babylonia. The ceremony consists of placing an appropriate record in the hollow part of the stone beneath, and accompanied by certain solemn forms.