Ylläs Äkäslompolo
Äkäslompolo, Finland, 2010
1st prize with the work “Kuura”
Planning area: 11,5 sq km
New bed units: over 13 000
The purpose of the competition was to seek new sustainable planning solutions for an entirely new traveling center with high quality resort construction. Kuura’s design consisted of a dense pedestrian center and an untrammeled connection between skiing center and the new village center. The most vital element of the area is ski in-out –route that begins from the end of slalom route and ends in beginning of transition lift. In this way skiers can go easily directly from cottage to slalom slopes. The design respected the naturally valuable areas by leaving them out of construction or making them important part of block structure. Wetland area was transformed in to active Winter park.
Architecture takes form from natural elements of Lapland. Inspiration for cottage areas was taken from the stone types of the area and hotels have the form of reindeer horns. All around the area nature is the most important attraction.
