{"id":11022,"date":"2026-01-09T13:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T13:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/terracotta-tones-define-community-centre-in-finland-by-nervin-architecture\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T13:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T13:35:20","slug":"terracotta-tones-define-community-centre-in-finland-by-nervin-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/terracotta-tones-define-community-centre-in-finland-by-nervin-architecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Terracotta tones define community centre in Finland by Nervin Architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sammontalo<\/div>\n

A terracotta-toned palette of concrete<\/a>, brickwork and tiles nods to Lappeenranta’s distinctive 1980s civic architecture at Sammontalo, a mixed-use community building<\/a> in Finland<\/a> by local studio Nervin Architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in Lappeenranta’s Sammonlahti neighbourhood, the 12,000-square-metre complex brings together childcare facilities, a school, a public library and sports and youth spaces under one roof.<\/p>\n

\"Community
Nervin Architecture has completed a multifunctional community centre in Finland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sammontalo replaces an existing daycare, school and sports hall that was originally designed in the 1980s as part of a wider masterplan by Finnish architect Olli Kivinen, defined by its red-brick, postmodern style.<\/p>\n

While structural issues led to these buildings being demolished, Helsinki-based Nervin Architecture<\/a> adopted the style and material palette of the masterplan’s surviving civic buildings, which have become well-known local landmarks.<\/p>\n

\"Interior
Terracotta tones define the project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“The remaining civic landmarks in the area include Sammontori youth centre and the health station, both designed by architect Sulo Savolainen in the 1980s, alongside the 1992 Sammonlahti Church by Riitta and Kari Ojala,” said studio partner Antti Soini.<\/p>\n

“These civic buildings emphasise human scale, contributing to a welcoming and approachable urban environment,” she told Dezeen. “Sammontalo continues the postmodern character of the surrounding buildings through its material choices and its expressive architectural language.”<\/p>\n

\"Hall
A double-height hall sits at the heart of the complex<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The two storeys of Sammontalo have been divided according to its broad mix of uses, with public facilities such as the library, sports facilities and youth centre on the ground floor and the more private learning areas above.<\/p>\n

These zones are linked via a double-height hall at the centre, which connects a public plaza and entrance to the north with a more private, cream-coloured courtyard to the south.<\/p>\n