Source: WISA Design Hotel

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Project Description:
“The WISA Wooden Design Hotel is a temporary building that will remain in place in Valkosaari until the end of September 2009. The building can provide overnight accommodation for a few people, but it is not designed for general hotel use.”

“The first thing that catches the eye is the atrium courtyard in the centre. The long curved pine boards half-covering the patio form a trellis that titillates the imagination. 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 living quarters. 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. Light comes in at both ends of the living quarters through floor-to-ceiling windows that brighten the interior. From the bedroom you can admire the morning sun and the sea, while the view from the lounging area opens onto the city and the evening sun.

This is how designer Pieta-Linda Auttila describes her idea: “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 atrium 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 broken, the original lightness of the wood comes to light.”

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