A MUSEUM FOR THE RESTORATION AND REUSE OF FINNISH LOG STRUCTURES

This proposal outlines a museum designed to support the restoration and preservation of Finnish timber structures and traditional construction methods within the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum in Helsinki, Finland. Finnish log construction has been a fundamental building technique for millennia and has shaped the country’s architectural history. However, with the rise of standardised, mass-produced timber, many traditional log-built saunas and summer cottages have been abandoned across Finland’s forests.

The project acts as a physical repository for these abandoned timber structures and building fragments, enabling their conservation and reinterpretation while safeguarding Finland’s log architectural heritage. The primary structure is conceived in log construction, with one structural system formed from reclaimed glulam timber logs to demonstrate the potential of timber reuse. This approach aims to increase the value of demolition materials by repurposing secondary timber elements into primary structural components for new buildings.

The application of bent glulam timber for the external and roof structures establishes an innovative structural relationship, highlighting both material efficiency and contemporary possibilities in timber architecture.