Event Centre Satama building, a nearly 8000-square-metre event venue, has been completed near the Maritime Centre Vellamo in Kotka, Finland in 2023. What makes the Event Centre Satama, designed by ALA Architects, particularly interesting is that wood is not only used as a surface material on the impressive ceiling of the venue lobby but also as a structural material.   

The event hall is around 20 meters high and its exterior is covered by a zinc surface. Behind the metal cladding, there are CLT wall structures, which have been left exposed in the indoor spaces, for instance in the office wing. For various practical reasons, the rest of the building uses a hybrid structure that also includes concrete and steel parts.   

From a wood construction perspective, the curved roof structure of the lobby is the building’s most interesting feature. It descends from the height of the hall area’s wall at around 15 meters and ends in a wide overhang supported by round, slanting steel pillars and anchored into the bedrock.   

The roof structure is formed by glulam beams with a span of around 30 meters. In principle, the shape of the roof is evocative of a freely hanging ‘bedsheet’, as the beams are only subject to pulling force. The lower edges of the roof joists rest on diagonal pillars and vertical tie rods anchored into the bedrock. Meanwhile, the upper edges of the joists are connected to steel-framed wall and ceiling grid systems, which have also been anchored into the bedrock. Together, the long, curved wooden beams form a structural whole.   

The building is suitable for public events for over 3,000 people. The large event hall can also be divided into several, smaller spaces, and the second floor has more space for various functions. The hall space on the second floor can also serve large events.   

Event Centre Satama was completed in the summer of 2023.