The Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos

The Sami Cultural Centre Sajos is located in northern part of Finnish Lapland, in village of Inari. Sajos is the centre of culture and administration for the Sami, the only indigenous people in EU. The building creates better possibilities for the Sami in Finland to preserve and develop their own language, culture and business. On site plan the cultural centre is formed roughly as a cross, creating different yards facing natural or manmade attractions in the vicinity and connecting the building to it s environment. Shape is carefully plotted to avoid harming old trees on the site. It is a modern interpretation of forms found in ancient sámi handicrafts. Different functions are packed in their respective wings, leaving a large, flowing space as a lobby in the middle. Functions include: Sámi parliament hall and an acoustically flexible auditorium, a multipurpose hall, meeting rooms, restaurant, library, archives, studio and editing facilities, classrooms and offices. The loadbearing structure is mainly concrete cast insitu to facilitate reasonably complex geometry. Thermal insulation exceeds the rigorous Finnish standards. Technically HVAC systems are stateofthe art for further energy savings. The facade is defined by massive vertical planks aligned to eavesline. Behind the planks the facade is clad in vertical boards and glass. All timber in the facade is spruce, treated with iron sulfate. In the interior wooden surfaces have a great role in creating the atmosphere. The smoothly curving walls of auditorium and parliament hall are clad in horizontal pine boards to give them a feel of a handcraft object.They are in contrast to the buildings rough exterior. Inside the parliament hall and auditorium have their visually and acoustically distinct characters. Gross floor area 4800m² Size of the site 36700m²