Wisa wooden design hotel

A summer temporary hotel

The Wooden Design Hotel is the perfect example of the type of architecture possible with wood, through a skillful treatment of organic shapes, natural materials, the use of light and avant-garde building construction techniques. The original structure, a fully-functional temporary hotel for the summer months, has been created on the island of Valkosaari, south of the port of Helsinki.
It is unquestionably an exclusive venue, for a handful of lucky guests who will be able to hideaway from the chaos of the outside world. The guests will enjoy total relaxation between the sky and sea, surrounded by the beautiful Finnish nature. The hotel, inaugurated last July by the Finnish company,

UPM Timber, a producer of wood and wood-based products, wishes to be the first in a series of hotels which will be constructed during the summer period on the numerous islands of the Helsinki archipelagos. It is a buen retiro for people who wish to enjoy an unforgettable experience in close contact with nature.

The project was designed by Pieta-Linda Auttila, a student attending the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, who won the competition run by UPM Timber, open to architects, designers and students. The unusual feature of the competition brief was a search for shape through experimentation, innovation and the development of the technical performance, taking the suggestive contest surrounding the building into account.
The building has been constructed in wood; it is lapped by the sea, overlooks the city on one side and nature on the other. Wood takes center-stage and has been used in the construction of the structures, in the finishes, the cladding on the walls, flooring, ceilings and, of course, the furnishings.

“The idea was to demonstrate the versatility of wood and its use as an ecological and renewable material’ commented Antti Ratia, who was responsible for the UPM Timber communication.
The idea for this original structure emerged from the observation of a piece of wood being brought to the shore by the waves and the currents. On first glance, observers notice the dark color caused by the long time the wood has spent in the water. But when the wood splits open, the inside parts show the original and unchanged luminosity.

“I was watching a rough sea – explained Pieta-Linda Auttila – and saw powerful waves raising the tree trunks darkened by the water, smashing them against the rocks. The violent impact split the pieces of wood and showed paler wood inside. I wanted to carry this combination of colors and sensations inside the hotel design: dark exteriors and luminous interiors to reflect this image”.
The plans unfold from the central atrium, half of which is closed by a trellis roof in curved wood which challenges the technical performance of wood.
The trellis has the dual function as a wind shield and as a filter of the long rays of the Nordic sun in the internal courtyard. The intriguing effects of light and shadows can be observed throughout the day, from the bright morning light to the various shades of soft red in the midnight sun.

For the interiors, the architects used WISA-Lam – a pine laminate - for the floors, WISA-Birch plywood for the walls and the ceiling, which is then treated with natural oils. The weight-bearing structures were created with WISA-Strong Douglas fir beams; the external facings and the patio have been cladded with Scandinavian pine WISA-Wood, treated with water and a mixture of colors to produce the dark hue. The light is filtered by floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides and this arrangement provides illumination for the interiors.
Each part of the hotel supplies its own spectacular performance: from the bedrooms, guests can enjoy the suggestive rising sun at dawn; the lounge provides an exceptional view over the city of Helsinki and the magnificent sunsets. The sea steals the attention of the lucky hotel guests every moment of the day.