Architect
A6 Architects
Competition
1997
Completion
1998
Gross area
480 m²
Category
Commercial buildings
Tags
competition glass restaurant steel tile wood

Korkeasaari Zoo has approximately half a million visitors annually. In spring 1997 the City of Helsinki organised an invited competition for the Zoo’s reception building. The entry ”Korona” (referring to the shape of the building) by A6 Architects won the competition.

The curved building creates a warm, protective shelter around the yard. The yard is secure from the wind but opens in the essential directions. Pedestrian traffic arriving from buses and the coastal path is directed through the yard to the bridge leading to the Zoo. Maintenance traffic uses the western side of the reception building to reach the bridge and is thus separated from the streams of pedestrian traffic.

The facilities have been grouped on the curve. The south curve of the narrow-framed building houses the ticket office, staff facilities, a cafeteria, a souvenir shop, and a kiosk. The north curve contains the storeroom for the pushchairs that can be borrowed by the public, a public lavatory, and technical facilities.

The cafeteria has two terraces, one with a sea-view and the morning sun and one which catches the evening sun in the yard. The building is steel-framed; the façades are made of glass and virtually knotless, oil-glazed spruce panel. The roof is of painted, mechanically seamed sheet metal.

The building was designed by Tapio Saarelainen and Heikki Mäkinen. They were assisted by Eeva Kilpiö, Jukka Linko and Jaakko Sutela and Heikki Nieminen.

Source: Finnish Architectural Review 5/1999

Location

Mustikkamaanpolku 12, Helsinki
60.1796306, 24.9826024

Images

Canopy, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Canopy, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© Eeva Kilpiö / MFA)
Canopy, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Canopy, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© Eeva Kilpiö / MFA)
Terrace, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Terrace, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© Tapio Saarelainen / MFA)
Café, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Café, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© Kari Erkkilä / MFA)
Site plan, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Site plan, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© A6 Architects)
Floor plan, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building
Floor plan, Korkeasaari Zoo Reception Building (© A6 Architects)

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