Tuesday, October 7, 2025
The global woodworking and sustainable building industries are turning their attention to Helsinki, Finland, following the momentous announcement that the Katajanokan Laituri office and hotel complex has been awarded the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Architecture. The accolade, presented by the Association of Finnish Architects (SAFA), highlights a shift toward high-quality, large-scale timber construction and underscores the critical role of wood in creating healthier, lower-carbon urban environments.
The award was personally selected by Archbishop Tapio Luoma, who praised the building—which houses the headquarters of renewable materials specialist Stora Enso and a Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4—for its profound impact on the city’s skyline and its innovative blend of wood and light. The Archbishop’s comments resonated deeply with the principles of sustainable design, emphasising the visceral connection the timber structure creates between the urban environment and the natural world.
Located on a prominent site at the Finnish capital’s waterfront, Katajanokan Laituri, designed by Anttinen Oiva Architects, stands as a bold, white structure juxtaposed against its historic neighbors of brick, stone, and concrete. According to Archbishop Luoma, the building’s exterior is “an arresting sight,” but the true marvel is revealed upon stepping inside.
The complex’s open-plan foyer is dominated by soaring timber structures—a dramatic spectacle created using engineered wood products. The Archbishop eloquently described the experience, noting that “at times, the abundance of wood leaves you feeling as if you’ve found yourself enveloped by a forest.” This powerful sensory connection is further enhanced by architectural details like a large circular timber bench inviting visitors to pause, and a meticulously designed system of skylights and façade windows that intentionally “blur the distinction between inside and outside.”
This impression of being transported to nature is central to the building’s philosophy, which integrates the natural world both literally, with elements like a roof garden, and experientially, through the extensive use of wood. The building, completed last year, has been lauded by the pre-selection jury as “a flagship for Finnish wood architecture,” signaling a promising direction for the future of Scandinavian and global construction.
The architectural firm’s lead architect, Selina Anttinen, described the Katajanokan Laituri project as “truly exceptional and highly creative.” The building’s genesis was characterised by a high degree of “ambition and professional curiosity,” inextricably linked to a profound “commitment to sustainability.” The building’s success is a shared victory, as Anttinen noted, involving the client, the designers, and the builders.
The core of this commitment lies in the structure itself. The development was built using a robust timber frame supplied by one of its anchor tenants, Stora Enso. This approach showcases the viability of mass timber in high-profile, mixed-use urban developments. The building’s structural integrity relies heavily on prefabricated engineered wood products, including Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), demonstrating world-class Finnish expertise in industrial wood construction.
Carbon sequestration and biophilic design
For the woodworking and forestry sectors, Katajanokan Laituri provides tangible evidence of wood construction’s environmental benefits. Antto Kauhanen, Stora Enso’s Sales and Development Manager for Building Solutions, highlighted the massive carbon-storing capability of the project. The building’s structures contain approximately 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide—a volume equivalent to the building’s projected operational emissions for the next five decades.
This feature solidifies mass timber’s position as a vital tool in decarbonizing the construction industry. Unlike conventional building materials, wood not only reduces emissions from its manufacturing but also actively locks away atmospheric carbon for the structure’s lifetime.
Beyond the environmental impact, the choice of material delivers significant benefits for the building’s occupants. Kauhanen emphasized the biophilic qualities of the wood structures—their visual appeal, superior acoustic performance, and overall wellness-enhancing effect. The presence of exposed timber contributes to a more pleasant and productive indoor environment, aligning the design with the growing global trend of prioritizing occupant well-being in commercial and public spaces. The light, durable material also contributes to better environments on construction sites themselves.
In selecting the winner, Archbishop Luoma was particularly moved by the architectural experience offered to visitors, a theme echoed by Selina Anttinen. Architecture, she posited, must “create space for different perspectives, to foster engagement, and to invite interpretation.” Ultimately, it is the private and collective “experiences that a building affords us” that grant it the power to endure.
By integrating a public foyer, café, restaurants, and a communal roof terrace and bar on the ground floor, Katajanokan Laituri successfully transforms what could have been a private corporate and hotel block into a dynamic, publicly accessible urban hub. This deliberate openness and mixed-use function underscore the building’s role not just as a structural achievement but as a civic contribution—a vital characteristic that earned it the Finlandia Prize over other shortlisted projects, including major renovations and new housing and energy developments.
The Finlandia Prize for Architecture, awarded by SAFA for outstanding design or renovation completed within the past three years, aims to promote high-quality architecture and underscore its importance in generating cultural value and increasing well-being. By recognizing Katajanokan Laituri, the prize jury has sent a clear message: mass timber architecture is not a niche concept but the mainstream future of sustainable, people-centric urban development. The project, designed by Anttinen Oiva’s team—including Selina Anttinen, Vesa Oiva, and Teemu Halme—is now firmly cemented as a leading example of how the woodworking industry and modern design can collaborate to build a greener world.
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Tags: CLT, Finlandia Prize for Architecture, Finnish Architecture, green building, Helsinki Wood Building, Stora Enso Headquarters
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