Architect Pieta-Linda Auttila has completed a prototype holiday home
in Helsinki, Finland, featuring a sculptural, wooden trellis between
two box-like ends.

Called the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and created for Finnish forest products brand [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the building is made of pine, spruce and birch grown in Finland.

The two solid volumes house sleeping and living areas, with large
windows in each end overlooking the sea on one side and the city on the
other.

The curved panels of the wooden trellis shelter a central patio from wind and filter the light.

Here’s some more information from the architect:
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WISA Wooden Design Hotel
“By bending the block I forced the slats into a new form that
contrasts with the original arrangement. That which is solid turns
partly transparent, that which is strictly geometrical, organic,” –
Pieta-Linda Auttila, architect –

WISA Wooden Design Hotel is an architectural gem of wood situated in
the maritime heart of Helsinki, capital of Finland. Around it lie the
city and 200 years of architectural history.

The work was designed by interior architect Pieta-Linda Auttila. She
hopes to spark interest in wood and highlight its role in building and
interior design.

The WISA Wooden Design Hotel is an outstanding example of wood’s
versatility. Here, wood works both as a load-bearing structure and
decor in walls, ceilings and floors. The building is a composition of
Finnish pine, spruce and birch, and a testimonial to their special
characteristics.

When you view the building from a distance, your eye is first caught
by the atrium courtyard in the centre; it separates the living quarters
at both ends.

The atrium’s shape flatters the liveliness of wood; technically it
is the most challenging part of the design. The long curved pine boards
half-covering the patio form a trellis that titillates the imagination.
Thanks to the trellis, the courtyard comes alive in a dizzying and
enchanting way.

The trellis protects against the wind and filters the long rays of
the Nordic sun into the courtyard. The charming interplay of light and
shade can be observed throughout the day, as the bright morning light
gradually turns into the red glow of the Northern midnight sun.

The striking wood architecture makes its way to the interior, giving
Finnish pine another chance to show what it’s made of. But not alone.
The pine floor is complemented by the light ethereal beauty of Nordic
birch. The walls and the ceiling are panelled with beautiful and
durable birch plywood.

This is how Pieta-Linda Auttila describes the idea she realised with
the WISA Wooden Design Hotel: “In the beginning was the roaring sea.
Powerful waves lifted from the depths a wooden block, already darkened
by sea water, and threw it against a rock. The force of the blow broke
the wood in the middle.”

The curved part, slashed into strips in the middle, forms a trellis
and shelters the courtyard of the hotel. As for the unbroken ends, they
are the living quarters.

The dark exterior and light interior of the WISA Wooden Design Hotel
likewise represent a broken block of wood. When the dark surface of the
block is cracked, the original lightness of the wood is exposed.

The floor-to-ceiling windows at both ends of the hotel provide
plenty of light to the interior. The views complement each other. The
bedroom faces the sea and the morning sun. Past the courtyard, at the
other end of the space, the view from the lounging area gives onto the
city and the evening sun. During the day you can observe a swarming
crowd and bustling commercial centre. After the late sunset the
nocturnal city’s own lights come on.

The WISA Wooden Design Hotel is based on the winning proposal of the
WISA 24h Wooden Design Workshop competition organised by UPM, one of
the leading forest products companies in the world.

The building can provide overnight accommodation for a few people, but it is not designed for general hotel use.

WISA Wooden Design Hotel / Pieta-Linda Auttila
Architect: Pieta-Linda Auttila
Location: Valkosaari island in Southern Harbour of Helsinki, Finland
Building owner: UPM Kymmene
Construction: 30 to 40 m² / 150 m³
Structure: Wood
Coating: Native wo
Construction: Year: 2009
Photographs: UPM


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Posted by Rose Etherington from dezeen.com