An oasis built of fire-protected spruce in the middle of the city

The Allas Sea Pool in Katajanokka, Helsinki is a stunning example of modern wooden architecture, with a design that is intended to be both distinctive and recognizable. A public building that displays views of the sea and the city of Helsinki, the shape of the building leads visitors to the roof terraces where they can enjoy a panoramic view of Helsinki’s metropolitan seaside landscape and watch ships passing by. The pool hosts weekly well-being and cultural events and is open to residents of the city throughout the year.

This large-scale building combines a pool and a cultural center, using tight-grained Finnish spruce as the main material throughout. Wood was chosen for the construction to represent Finland’s deep connection with this versatile building material – popularly known as the land of a thousand lakes, the country is also covered with forests. The Allas Sea Pool, designed by architect Pekka Pakkanen of Huttunen-Lipasti-Pakkanen Architects, is intended to provide an oasis of relaxation in the center of Finland’s capital.

All of the building’s wooden surfaces are made with tinted spruce. The tinting sought to create a unified look that, when viewed from inside, would create continuity with the external spaces, and . Because of the demanding conditions of the Finnish winter, the terrace boards were treated on four sides, with multiple layers of surfacing agents applied. The public façade is partitioned into a palette of wooden grids that shimmer in the light reflected from the activity in the background. All wooden parts have been treated to fulfill the requirements of B-s1,d0, the highest Reaction to Fire classification.

The sea pool covers 9,000 m² in total, with 2,800 m² dedicated to the floating pier area and ​​ buildings taking up 1,800 m². The area offers 3,800 seats for visitors as well as 853 m² of swimming pools.