Finland: SOULMADE Helsinki, a “sustainable culture club concept” will open in Töölö in 2021.
The company says the property will provide “an extension of its neighbours’ living room, as well as a space for community, mindfulness, fitness, spa and accommodation for locals and travellers alike”. It will feature a combination of private and public space to cater to the different needs of Helsinki locals and visitors.
As a first step in engaging with the community, SOULMADE hosted a workshop on 11 December 2019, and invited neighbours to talk about the values of Töölö, what they love and want to preserve, as well as what they feel is missing.
SOULMADE organised an architectural competition in collaboration with SAFA, the Finnish Association of Architects. Five Finnish architectural offices took part in the competition and faced a jury composed of the City of Helsinki, SOULMADE, Helsinki Business Hub and independent representatives appointed by SAFA.
The winning proposal came from Avanto Architects, renowned for its design of Löyly, a public sauna and a restaurant, which has become a landmark on the shores of Helsinki.
“We are looking to create a sustainable, pavilion-like SOULMADE & Spa, that respects the Töölö functionalist architectural heritage. It will complement the nearby existing recreational services, sports, and bathing functions for everyone to use. A high-quality Sigurd Frosterus park is going to be built to the end of the cape and the popular coastal pedestrian route will run around the building and Taivallahti shoreline uninterrupted,” said Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara, Avanto Architects.
“The spa and accommodation concept and the outdoor area surrounding it will diversify Helsinki’s leisure services and develop the Taivallahti coastal area as a centre of recreation and leisure,” added Rikhard Manninen, head of Urban Planning Division, City of Helsinki. “Additionally, public spaces have been planned within the building and have the opportunity to become the attractive highlight of maritime Etu-Töölö. The objectives of the architecture competition took into consideration the precious scenery of Taivallahti as well as Helsinki city strategy, which aims to make the city carbon neutral by 2035.”
SOULMADE was founded in Munich in 2016. It says sustainability is at the heart of the concept, from the choice of materials to the way the company is run. It won a Serviced Apartment Award in 2018 for Best Architecture.</p
