The Valkosaari island lies in the Gulf of Finland, directly facing the centre of Helsinki. A wooden hotel resembling an exploded piece of wood was constructed on the island for the summer. The resemblance is deliberate, according to its designer, Ms. Pieta-Linda Auttila, who completed her master’s degree in spatial design this spring.

”I wanted to blow up a block of wood into splinters, to underline the infinite possibilities contained in a single material and form,” Auttila says.

Auttila’s design won the competition organised by UPM in April. The participants in the WISA 24h Wooden Design Workshop competition had 24 hours to design a hotel using Finnish timber.

“We had been thinking about how to approach architects and those responsible for city planning, to tell them about the potential of wood in construction. A traditional design competition would have meant too much work and expense, so we decided on a 24-hour one,” explains Mr. Antti Ratia, Customer Communications Manager at UPM Timber.

Interest exceeded expectations
Ratia says that they expected 30–40 participants, but in fact, the competition attracted 75 entries. The participants included architects and students as well as established design offices.

”The design object and its location were disclosed at the beginning of the competition. The requirement was that the hotel design could be realised using standard sawn timber available at DIY stores,” Ratia explains.

Eight entries made it to the final round. Pieta-Linda Auttila’s design won because it combined sculptural from with functionality. According to Ratia, several entries were sculptural monuments which would not have worked as actual hotels.

Moreover, Auttila’s design could be implemented in practice as designed; the only thing omitted was a balcony. After the competition it took five weeks to complete the building.

Project fits in with Helsinki’s image
Ratia says that the whole project would not have been possible without help from the City of Helsinki. Adhering to the normal construction permit process would have put an end to the whole competition.

Ms. Pirkko Nyman, Tourist Director of the City of Helsinki says she was excited the moment she was told about the project.

“Architecture and design are an integral part of Helsinki’s brand, and the only modern wooden building anywhere near is the Finnforest office in the City of Espoo. I thought this design competition was wonderful and unique and had some of that crazy creativity we Finns are said to possess,” Nyman says.

Nyman discussed the project with Mr. Tuomas Rajajärvi, Director the Helsinki City Planning Department, and the permit processes were speeded up.

Nyman says that Helsinki also benefits from the hotel. Many tourists are interested in wooden architecture, and the hotel makes a nice place to take guests of the city administration to breakfast, for example

Follow-up to the competition planned
Despite its name, the hotel is not intended for public use. Those interested in spending a night in it should contact Ratia.

The wooden hotel will remain on Valkosaari for the summer, until the end of September. Its future after that is still open. However, inquiries have already been made about the building.

Ratia says that the competition is not going to be a one-hit wonder. “We’re planning to arrange some sort of a discussion-opener every year, be it a competition or a project.”

He says that the cost of the competition and construction is on a par with placing eight A4-size ads in quality magazines. “We are just channelling the same money in a different way. Less traditional advertising and more interactive projects, such as this one.”

In the Finnish media, at least, the coverage given to the project would fill more than eight A4 pages by now.

By Krista Kimmo



Competition's homepage (in Finnish, links to english press releases available)