Juha Leiviskä (born 1936 in Helsinki, Finland) is an architect and designer, renowned especially for his sacral buildings. Leiviskä studied architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology, qualifying as an architect in 1963 where he also worked as a teaching assistant 1959-71. He established his own office in 1967.
Some of Leiviskä's best-known works are Myyrmäki Church and Parish Centre in Vantaa (1980-84), the German Embassy in Helsinki (1986-93) and the International Cultural Centre Ad Dar in Betlehem in Palestine (1998-2003). Juha Leiviskä is respected both in Finland and abroad. In 1995 Juha Leiviskä was awarded with the reputable Carlsberg Architectural Prize, and in 2008 with the Antonio Feltrinelli Prize for Architecture and Urban Design. His buildings share the qualities of being monumental, yet at the same time intimate, with the light taking a central role in the architecture. Many of his works have been displayed in international exhibitions.
A characteristic of Leiviskä’s architecture is the subtle and delicate use of light. When it comes to the planning of the interiors of the buildings, the usage of light has in fact been one of the most central elements. Further to his talent for using natural light in his architecture, Leiviskä is also a skilled lighting designer. His lightings are characterized by a simple and subtle design that sheds a delicate and warm light. Juha Leiviskä’s lightings are an important part of the Artek lighting range