Lentoon
Located off the Yliopistonranta shore in Savilahti, Lentoon is a floating avian sculpture designed by architect Markku Viitasalo in 1982. The sculpture was renovated in 2021 and has since then had a wonderful coloured lighting that can be used to highlight holidays and special occasions. It has been deemed to be important for the culturally and historically important work of art to be preserved in its original location. Today, the work is said to represent the new upturn of the Savilahti area as well as the area’s significance for the university and the City. The coloured lights have been designed by Reittitiimi Oy in collaboration with the Circle of Light project coordinators.
Location: Off the Savilahti shore area / Yliopistonranta, Savilahti
Year of completion: 2021
Commissioned by: City of Kuopio
The artist
Markku Viitasalo (1947–2013) was a Finnish architect known as an advocate of timber construction. In addition to architecture, he gained recognition as the designer of certain public sculptures such as Konstruktio 2000 / Himmeli located in front of the Pasila office centre in Helsinki (a collaborative work with his spouse Pirkko Viitasalo and Markku Koskela) and the Asiasta kiinnostunut taho (Tuntosarvet pystyssä) sculpture standing in front of the South Savo Vocational College building in Mikkeli. Viitasalo graduated as an architect from the University of Oulu and founded his design office in Lahti.
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