Maisemallisina

Maisemallisina is a Finnish term used to describe the way places, objects or scenes are presented or interpreted “as landscapes” rather than as purely functional or built forms. Etymologically, it is formed from maisema (landscape) with the suffix -llinen (like) and the plural essive form -ina/-inä, yielding maisemallinen (landscape-like) and maisemallisina (as landscapes, in the capacity of landscapes) in plural contexts. The form is most commonly found in architectural, urban planning and cultural studies literature.

In planning and design discussions, maisemallisina refers to approaches that treat the landscape as a governing frame or organizing principle for space. Projects described as maisemallisina aim to integrate buildings, terrain, vegetation and views so that the built environment becomes part of a larger landscape composition. This can involve site-responsive forms, material choices that echo the surrounding nature, or design that emphasizes visual and ecological connectivity with the milieu rather than isolated, stand-alone architecture.

In cultural and visual analysis, maisemallisina can describe how environments are depicted or experienced. For example, in landscape photography, cinema or public art, spaces may be framed so that the landscape itself is a central subject or context, rather than a neutral backdrop. The term thus signals both a stylistic tendency and a design philosophy that foregrounds landscape as a category of meaning.

See also: maisema, maisemallinen, maisemasuunnittelu.