Torsby Finnskog Center / Bornstein Lyckefors

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: Bornstein Lyckefors
Year: 2014
Photographs:Courtesy of Bornstein Lyckefors

Torsby Finnskog Center / Bornstein Lyckefors - Brick, Facade, Column — Courtesy of Bornstein Lyckefors

Text description provided by the architects. Bornstein Lyckefors Architects has designed a new museum and cultural centre in an old school in the forest outside Torsby, Sweden. The museum pays tribute to slash-burn agricultural Finns who settled deep into the forests in the early 1600s.

Torsby Finnskog Center / Bornstein Lyckefors - Brick, Facade — Courtesy of Bornstein Lyckefors

The project also includes an exhibition showing the Finns building techniques and crafts, and telling about their history, traditions and folklore.

Torsby Finnskog Center / Bornstein Lyckefors - Facade, Column — Courtesy of Bornstein Lyckefors

The building used to be a primary school and has been reconfigured for the new purpose. The architects chose to work with raw materials from the forest in the facade.

“We wanted the building to communicate the Finn culture nearly as clear as an expression mark”, says Andreas Lyckefors at Bornstein Lyckefors.

Torsby Finnskog Center / Bornstein Lyckefors - Beam — Courtesy of Bornstein Lyckefors

To achieve that, the old school building was smutted black and covered with a veil of standing timber. The facade has openings for entry and extra sunlight intake. Protruding wooden boxes also provides space for benches, signage and artwork.