Constructions in the Wood Architecture Park
Illuminated Canopy (Kengo Kuma & Associates 2005)
The first construction to be completed in the Wood Architecture Park was the Illuminated Canopy by Kengo Kuma. The canopy also serves the practical purpose of sheltering people waiting for a taxi in front of the Sibelius Hall. The slatted canopy consists of narrow strips of wood, through which daylight is filtered in changing patterns of shade and light. The fastenings and guttering are of steel, and the canopy is protected by acrylic. At night, the canopy is illuminated by LED uplights with changing colours, imitating the play of aurora borealis.
The canopy was constructed by students of the Salpaus Further Education college.
Wooden Spiral (Richard Leplastrier, 2006)
Leplastrier was requested to design an architectural work at the junction of Ankkurikatu and Niemenkatu streets, and he prepared the design carefully on the spot in the summer of 2005.
He was inspired by the location of the sculpture. The roundabout is located at the foot of a steep hill, from the top of which the view is open all the way to the Salpausselkä ski jumping towers. Due to the dramatic shape of the terrain the work should be of sufficient dimensions.
The architect was also intrigued by the history of the area. The timber is shaped like railway sleepers, calling to mind the former rail tracks, sawmill, board stacks and timber storages in the area. Leplastrier’s original plan was to use recycled materials, such as old sleepers and rejected blocks of stone from a quarry. However, the use of old sleepers is not allowed because of the impregnation chemicals they contain. The stone blocks already selected and marked were also accidentally sent to be crushed.
Because of its location and height, building the spiral proved a challenge. Calculating the strength needed to withstand the effect of wind and snow, for example, took a considerable time.
The spiral consists of four blocks of stone topped by a spiralling timber grid. The height of the stone base is 3 metres, and that of the timber section 9 metres, bringing the total to 12 metres. The spiral is centrally stabilised by steel profiles anchored to the base plate of reinforced concrete.
The timber and metal sections of the work were assembled in the Salpaus Further Education college.
The Piano Pavilion
A design for a kiosk and café was commissioned in 2000 from Renzo Piano, the first recipient of the International Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award. However, due to being fully booked for years to come, Piano declined the commission, and so Gert Wingårdh from Sweden, a member of the jury in 2000, suggested that he would design the building in the spirit of Renzo Piano’s work. The pavilion is Wingårdh’s first design commission in Finland.
The name, Piano Pavilion, refers to the person of Renzo Piano, but in a punning way it also creates a link to the arts. The spoon included in the pavilion’s logotype is a reminder of the cutlery collection designed by Renzo Piano for Hackman-Iittala.
The building combines the use of massive wood and transparent glass. Its foundation consists of steel columns sunk to the bedrock, supporting transverse steel beams. The pavilion’s frame is built of massive Kerto wood and gluelam, above which soars the roof construction with its boomerang-shaped gluelam beams. The roof is partly made of glass, as are also the walls and the terrace railings.
Owned by the Wood in Culture Association, the building functions as a café in summer and as a meeting and function facility in winter. The building seats about 50 persons indoors and a further 100 on the terrace. The café and restaurant services are operated by the nearby company Casseli Oy.
Viewing Terrace
Peter Zumthor has started designing the viewing terrace to be built on Kariniemi hill. The sketches have been completed, and the structural drawings are under way. Zumthor has requested extremely detailed information on the terrain, which illustrates his attitude to the task: the construction must be a perfect fit.
The terrace is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
