Architects: Avanto Architecs
Area: 82 m²
Year: 2002
Photography: Jussi Tiainen
Lead Architect: Ville Hara
City: Helsinki
Country: Finland
Kupla Helsinki Zoo Lookout Tower, designed by Avanto Architects in Helsinki, is a significant addition to Korkeasaari Zoo. The ten-meter-high lookout tower, situated on a cliff-top eighteen meters above sea level, serves as a landmark visible in the Helsinki skyline. Completed in 2002, the project was part of an architectural competition organized by Korkeasaari Zoo and Wood Focus Finland for architecture students at Helsinki University of Technology.
The site, positioned on a cliff-top eighteen meters above sea level, offers remarkable views of the sea and the city of Helsinki. The tower, a ten-meter-high transparent landmark, was a HUT Wood Studio project and Ville Hara’s graduation project from 2000-2002.
The design of the tower originated from a competition launched in 1999 by Korkeasaari Zoo and Wood Focus Finland. Ville Hara, now a co-owner of Avanto Architects, designed the winning entry. A group of international Wood Studio Workshop students developed the draft design between 2000 and 2002, culminating in the project’s completion.
The tower’s design draws inspiration from its natural surroundings. The free form follows the existing low stone wall and encircles a small birch grove, ensuring the structure is both unique and structurally sound.
The load-bearing grid shell structure, composed of 72 glulam battens bent and twisted on-site from seven preformed types, is held together by over 600 bolted joints. This strong yet light meshed shell structure resembles an eggshell, capable of withstanding loads even when punctured. Treated with a linseed oil-based wood balm with UV protection, the structure lacks additional weather protection.
Ville Hara explained that the Finnish word Kupla, meaning bubble, was chosen to reflect the curvilinear forms ubiquitous in nature, which people find humane and relatable. The vault-shaped structures are also cost-effective and durable, a testament to their historical use.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 12 Mustikkamaanpolku, Helsinki 00570, Finland
Location is for reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
