School of Engineering Alumni of the Year commemorated with steel sculpture
A large steel sculpture bearing the names of the School of Engineering's Alumni of the Year has been installed in the second-floor lobby of the Konetekniikka 1 building, located at Otakaari 4. The piece has been designed and produced by metal materials specialist Eetu Enqvist, a graduate of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Familiar materials presented with a twist
The Alumni of the Year sculpture is constructed out of steel that has been treated with copper sulphate and an acid solution to give it a vibrant texture and a dignified appearance. The names of the honourees are set in brushed stainless steel letters. The sculpture gets its shape from the map of Otaniemi – a common element shared by the School of Engineering, Aalto University and their alumni.
Steel is one of the basic materials of mechanical engineering, also connecting the piece to the school's expertise.
The piece combines two types of steel as well as an old and a new way of working with a steel material. It consists of two elements: the sculpted background plate and the names attached to it. Both have been laser cut out of a steel plate measuring four millimetres in thickness.
'The space the work was designed for is large and open, and the piece is built to stand out to viewers and passers-by from the large surface area it occupies'' Eetu Enqvist says.
The school's Dean's List posters were also refreshed. The steel material and chemical treatment used in the Alumni of the Year sculpture can also be seen in the framing of the posters.
The School of Engineering names an Alumnus of the Year to promote dialogue between the school and its socially impactful alumni. In 2016, Mika Anttonen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of St1, was the first to receive the honour.
In 2017, the school honoured marine architect Ari Niemelä, who works at the Meyer Turku shipyard as the head of its hull design department.
In 2018, the recognition was given to Mayor of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä.
The Alumna of the Year for 2019 was Tiina Tuurnala, CEO of the Finnish Shipowners' Association.
The incumbent is Granlund CEO and construction and real estate expert Pekka Metsi, who was named Alumnus of the Year 2020 earlier this autumn.
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