Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and also known for its forests. Puistossa means in the park in Finnish, and the word represents the main idea in this sports and wellbeing centre. Puistossa is a place surrounded by nature, both water and land. It is a place where people can go and relax as well as do sports. It is a place to be quiet but also a place to meet friends. Puistossa is meant to take nature closer to the busy city people.
The sports and wellbeing centre is located next to the canal and above the shoreline. The continuance of the green corridor by the shoreline dictated the place of the building. By placing the building near the shoreline, the park was able to be brought to the plaza and the residential buildings. The sports and wellbeing centre has a direct access to the lake and the entrance to the building will be through the nature.
The building consists of three storeys and two basement levels, and the mass is in two parts that are connected to each other underground. The wellbeing centre is located on the second basement and the basement is under the lake. Natural light to the basement will come through skylights that pop over the lake surface. There will also be some windows under the lake for atmosphere.
All the main spaces that are over ground have views to the lake or to the park. The materials in the building are natural, for example natural stone and wood. The main facades are made of natural green granite and glass.
