Visitor Centre Pro Nemus

Metsä Group’s Pro Nemus exhibition building is an ensemble crafted from Finnish wood; a fusion of modern industrial wood construction and Finnish carpentry. The building is a place for quiet contemplation in the middle of a massive industrial area. When combined with an interactive exhibition, it is a memorable experience.

The Pro Nemus centre is located at the Metsä Group bioproduct mill in Äänekoski. The building is meant to be a visitor centre and an exhibition space for Metsä Group products, values, and operations. Located near the entrance to the mill, the building welcomes guests with a dark form that clearly stands out from the other buildings on the site. The thousand square metre wood building does justice to the diversity of Metsä Wood’s engineered wood products. The structure combines industrially manufactured wood elements, architecturally unique solutions and carpentry expertise. The aim was to incorporate the building’s structures and other wood materials into the exhibition and to highlight them as authentically as possible.

To find inspiration for the contours of the building, the architects took a close look at the site and the views that open out from it and considered how people would move inside and outside and experience the building. The features and contrasts of the facility play an important role and support the exhibition: low – high, dark – light, closed – open, unlit – lighted. The building itself is like a walk in the woods: sometimes the trees press in and only the occasional sunbeam finds its way inside. Other times the trees are sparse and the forest is brighter, even opening up into a clearing.

The building facade is made from vertical spruce panels treated with black varnish. The visually pleasing large glass façade blends into the mill environment. The entrance ramp pulls visitors towards the main door that is under an overhang reminiscent of spruce branches. The pine door recalls traditions of artisanal craftsmanship and makes entering a dignified experience.

The foyer opening up from the front door is light and bright. Lined with a glass wall, the space gradually expands and rises, making the space festive. Massive wood structures in natural colours, made from Kerto® LVL products, combined with uncomplicated white surfaces create a calm and warm atmosphere. The CNC patterns machined into the birch plywood surfaces of the wood staircases in the foyer also spotlight the forest theme and improve the acoustics in the space due to the acoustics panels hidden behind them. A green wall covered with moss closes off the expanse of the exhibition space, adding a colourful and visually impressive element to the building.

The cloak rooms and toilet facilities on the ground floor have a dark tone, but their varnished softwood plywood surfaces still have a natural feel. The ground floor ceiling is made from LVL ribbing, with the lights weaving in and out between them. There is black acoustic panel behind the wood ribbing. The benches are made from Kerto® LVL, and the coat racks are made from birch and softwood plywood. The vivid texture of the plywood and Kerto® LVL has been kept as natural as possible in appearance and feel.

Access to the exhibition space on the first floor is through a wooden staircase. The space and materials in the exhibition area are uninterrupted and clear, making the building a cohesive whole. Looking down from the gallery to the foyer, the art installation in the foyer and the green wall at the end of the space can be explored from different angles. The mill on the other side of the glass wall also opens up in a new way from this perspective.

The sliding doors and the wall at the end of the first floor exhibition space are made from the same material as the facade. The wide sliding doors allow the multipurpose space to be combined with the exhibition space or to be closed off for more private events. The flexibility of the facilities and the life cycle of the building were important considerations: the exhibition space and layout can be modified as needed.

The Pro Nemus centre is a model example of how quick wood construction projects can be. The extremely tight schedule was met without compromising on quality and the details. The pillar-beam frame of the building and the wall, floor, and ceiling rely on Kerto® LVL products. Thanks to the pre-fabricated elements, the visitor centre was built in just seven months.

Metsä Group’s Pro Nemus exhibition building is an ensemble crafted from Finnish wood; a fusion of modern industrial wood construction and Finnish carpentry. The building is a place for quiet contemplation in the middle of a massive industrial area. When combined with an interactive exhibition, it is a memorable experience.

The Pro Nemus centre is located at the Metsä Group bioproduct mill in Äänekoski. The building is meant to be a visitor centre and an exhibition space for Metsä Group products, values, and operations. Located near the entrance to the mill, the building welcomes guests with a dark form that clearly stands out from the other buildings on the site. The thousand square metre wood building does justice to the diversity of Metsä Wood’s engineered wood products. The structure combines industrially manufactured wood elements, architecturally unique solutions and carpentry expertise. The aim was to incorporate the building’s structures and other wood materials into the exhibition and to highlight them as authentically as possible.

To find inspiration for the contours of the building, the architects took a close look at the site and the views that open out from it and considered how people would move inside and outside and experience the building. The features and contrasts of the facility play an important role and support the exhibition: low – high, dark – light, closed – open, unlit – lighted. The building itself is like a walk in the woods: sometimes the trees press in and only the occasional sunbeam finds its way inside. Other times the trees are sparse and the forest is brighter, even opening up into a clearing.

The building facade is made from vertical spruce panels treated with black varnish. The visually pleasing large glass façade blends into the mill environment. The entrance ramp pulls visitors towards the main door that is under an overhang reminiscent of spruce branches. The pine door recalls traditions of artisanal craftsmanship and makes entering a dignified experience.

The foyer opening up from the front door is light and bright. Lined with a glass wall, the space gradually expands and rises, making the space festive. Massive wood structures in natural colours, made from Kerto® LVL products, combined with uncomplicated white surfaces create a calm and warm atmosphere. The CNC patterns machined into the birch plywood surfaces of the wood staircases in the foyer also spotlight the forest theme and improve the acoustics in the space due to the acoustics panels hidden behind them. A green wall covered with moss closes off the expanse of the exhibition space, adding a colourful and visually impressive element to the building.

The cloak rooms and toilet facilities on the ground floor have a dark tone, but their varnished softwood plywood surfaces still have a natural feel. The ground floor ceiling is made from LVL ribbing, with the lights weaving in and out between them. There is black acoustic panel behind the wood ribbing. The benches are made from Kerto® LVL, and the coat racks are made from birch and softwood plywood. The vivid texture of the plywood and Kerto® LVL has been kept as natural as possible in appearance and feel.

Access to the exhibition space on the first floor is through a wooden staircase. The space and materials in the exhibition area are uninterrupted and clear, making the building a cohesive whole. Looking down from the gallery to the foyer, the art installation in the foyer and the green wall at the end of the space can be explored from different angles. The mill on the other side of the glass wall also opens up in a new way from this perspective.

The sliding doors and the wall at the end of the first floor exhibition space are made from the same material as the facade. The wide sliding doors allow the multipurpose space to be combined with the exhibition space or to be closed off for more private events. The flexibility of the facilities and the life cycle of the building were important considerations: the exhibition space and layout can be modified as needed.

The Pro Nemus centre is a model example of how quick wood construction projects can be. The extremely tight schedule was met without compromising on quality and the details. The pillar-beam frame of the building and the wall, floor, and ceiling rely on Kerto® LVL products. Thanks to the pre-fabricated elements, the visitor centre was built in just seven months.