Architecture is often seen as the creation of the architect alone. However, architecture is a collaborative endeavour involving diverse professionals, from urban planners, building designers and construction labourers to restoration architects, repair workers and maintenance staff.
Preserving built heritage depends on stewardship a shared responsibility that involves caring for and steering the future of common goods. In the built environment, stewardship goes beyond maintaining structures to include decisions about access, future use, and redistribution.
The Pavilion of Finland in Venice s Giardini della Biennale Park stands as a testament to this. Originally designed as a temporary structure by Alvar Aalto and his office for the 1956 International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, the delicate wooden building has become a permanent monument. This wouldn t be possible without continuous maintenance and repair.
