Katajanokan Laituri (Katajanokka Pier) is a solid wood office building that is now part of Helsinki’s historic seaside.

The architectural design is the handiwork of Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit Oy. This year’s winner was announced at the Puupäivä (Wood Day) event on November 6th.

Katajanokka Pier aims to lead the way to a future where modern wood is used as part of sustainable urban construction. From its inception, the project sought to minimise climate impacts during its entire life cycle by extending its service life as far as possible, enabling conversions and a diverse range of uses, and being low carbon and energy efficient. Thanks to its structural system and interior dimensions, the inside of the building can be modified as needs change.

The building has four floors above ground and a communal roof-top terrace. Technical facilities and parking are in the basement. The ground floor hosts services that complement the surrounding urban spaces, such as a restaurant, a café, and event facilities. The various occupants, visitors, and city residents come together in the shared lobby leading from the street to the sea.

The jury’s statement:

The 2024 Wood Award winner, Katajanokan Laituri, arose from the winning proposal in an international architectural competition and is an impressive demonstration of what is possible in Finnish wood construction today.

Wooden buildings have traditionally been seen as incompatible with dense urban environments, but Katajanokka Laituri challenges this perception by successfully fitting in with its prestigious, historical surroundings, thereby setting high standards for future construction projects.

Wood is omnipresent in the building’s structures, cladding, and interior decoration. The sheer abundance of visible solid wood is delightful, and the different wood types come together to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The use of prefabricated wooden components enabled an inventive design and expedited construction, resulting in a building that is both visually intriguing and functionally smart. In addition, the project succeeded in delivering an adaptable building with a small carbon footprint.

It is amazing how the building seems to be successful in all areas – sustainability, wood architecture innovation, the integration of various wood products into a whole, the quality and details of the construction work, rational construction and project management, and user satisfaction.

Selected participants in the winning project:

• DEVELOPER: Varma mutual pension insurance company
• ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit Oy
• INTERIOR DESIGN: Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit Oy (Stora Enso, lobby, overall facilities) & Franz Design Oy (hotel, restaurant)
• STRUCTURAL DESIGN: Sweco Finland Oy
• MAIN CONTRACTOR: Haahtela-rakennuttaminen Oy
• WOOD COMPONENT SUPPLIER: Stora Enso (CLT, LVL) & Punkaharjun Puutaito Oy (LVL pillars and beams, further processing)
• FIRE SAFETY DESIGN: KK-Palokonsultti Oy
• ACOUSTICS DESIGN: Akukon Oy
• LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Nomaji maisema-arkkitehdit Oy
• LIFE CYCLE PLANNING: Granlund Oy
• LOBBY DETAILS: Raision Puusepät Oy

More information:
https://puuinfo.fi/arkkitehtuuri/puupalkinto-yleisoaanestys/katajanokan-laituri/

Jury

The final winner of the 2024 Wood Award was selected by a jury consisting of architect SAFA Asko Takala, president of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), architect SAFA Matti Lakkala, a university teacher at the University of Oulu’s architecture unit, and architect SAFA Karola Sahi, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture at Aalto University.

People’s Choice Award: Maatulli School

Helsinki’s new primary school and daycare centre is grounded in natural themes. This green school concept is based on research indicating that educational institutions built from wood and closely connected to nature can have a positive impact on children’s mental and physical health.

Planted in a lush park in Helsinki’s Tapulikaupunki district, Maatulli School and Kindergarten is home to 700 pupils and 238 kindergartners. The school mimics a village, with five wooden buildings arranged around a circular green courtyard known as “The Forest Glade”. This courtyard places a compelling green outdoor space at the heart of the school, enhancing the learning environment and adding value beyond traditional school life. The school and its outdoor learning environments flow seamlessly into the surrounding park landscape, leaving existing terrain and trees intact.

Built from solid wood modules, Maatulli School and Kindergarten is one of Helsinki’s first wooden school facilities. Its wood-clad façade is decorated with vertical mullions, drawing inspiration from the surrounding trees to create a dynamic interplay between the exterior and interior.

Planning began with a public two-phase competition in early 2021, with Fors Arkitekter and Blomqvist arkitektur providing the winning proposal. Fors Arkitekter spearheaded the project’s continued planning and asked Arkkitehtuuri- ja muotoilutoimisto Talli to serve as their Finnish partner and to lead further planning and building design. The project kicked off in May 2021, and construction was complete in August 2024.

The jury’s statement:

Wood enhances the well-being of the building’s users in many ways. Even when indoors, the children and staff feel the nature present in the inner courtyard and the surrounding park. The school’s rational construction method and the uncomplicated use of wood throughout the interior epitomise wood construction that is simultaneously sensible and progressive.

Leading by example, Maatulli School and Kindergarten points the way towards even richer and more experiential designs for wooden schools.

Architectural design:
Lead Design Architect (chief consultant): Fors Arkitekter
Executive Architect: Arkkitehtuuri- ja muotoilutoimisto Talli
Co-architect of competition and schematic designs: Blomqvist Arkitektur

More information:
https://puuinfo.fi/arkkitehtuuri/puupalkinto-yleisoaanestys/maatullin-peruskoulu/

Nominees for 2024

The Wood Award competition received 20 submissions by the deadline, from which the preliminary jury selected 12 nominations for the Wood Award and for the People’s Choice Award. The proposals represent superior architectural visions and broad-based use of wood in construction. The jury considered the quality of all proposals to be very high.

This year’s top entries were all committed to high quality: the various contractors of each project jointly agreed on quality goals, resulting in breathtaking wooden architecture.

For more information, contact:

Puuinfo Oy, emmi.inna@puuinfo.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 537 3908

Pictures downloadable for informational use:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qs43BYEubTGQkQ0QBXBZLuglKz3MtqWV?usp=sharing

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Background of the 27th Wood Award

The Wood Award is awarded annually to commemorate the building, interior design or structure that best represents Finnish, high quality wood architecture or where wood has been used in a manner that improves construction techniques. The Wood Award has been awarded since 1994, and this year’s winner is the award’s 27th recipient. The award is granted by Puuinfo.

In selecting the winner of the Wood Award, the jury pays special attention to the architectural quality of the site, the innovative use of wood and the overall attention attracted by the site.

Previous winners:

• 2023 Monio upper secondary school and cultural centre
• 2022 Ceiling of Helsinki-Vantaa Airport’s entrance hall
• 2021 Hopealaakso daycare centre, Helsinki
• 2020 Renovation and renewal of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki
• 2019 Lighthouse Joensuu, Joensuu
• 2018 Tuupala primary school and daycare centre, Kuhmo
• 2017 Rest Area Niemenharju, Pihtipudas
• 2016 Pudasjärvi Log Campus, Pudasjärvi
• 2015 Puukuokka Housing Block, Jyväskylä
• 2014 Serlachius Museum, Gösta’s Pavilion, Mänttä
• 2013 Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Espoo
• 2012 Housing development PUUERA, Vierumäki
• 2011 Metsähallitus office building and Pilke science centre, Rovaniemi
• 2010 Luukku House, Aalto University Luukku Team
• 2009 Conservation Centre of the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, Helsinki
• 2008 Reconstruction of Porvoo Cathedral, Porvoo
• 2007 Kotilo House, Espoo
• 2006 Finnforest Modular Office, Espoo
• 2005 The Metla Building, Joensuu
• 2004 Laajasalo church, Helsinki and Aurinkorinne wooden detached housing area, Espoo
• 2003 Puu-Linnanmaa area, Oulu
• 2002 Kierikki Stone Age Centre, Yli-Ii and Sibelius Hall, Lahti
• 2000 Vihantasalmi bridge, Mäntyharju
• 1998 Viikki wooden apartment building area, Helsinki
• 1996 Camp site reception building, Taivalkoski
• 1994 Metsola primary school, Helsinki