crystalline timber canopy inspired by snow fractals becomes a gathering space in finland

"In Kuhmo, a small timber-industry town in eastern Aalto University's Wood Program installs Kide, a crystalline outdoor stage that doubles as a civic gathering point. The pavilion responds to the need of the town for a flexible cultural venue by translating the fractal geometry of snow into an inhabitable wooden canopy. Suspended lightly on two corners, the structure offers a sheltered space for performances, markets, and everyday meetings, contributing to the social and cultural life of a community of 8,000 residents."

"The team grounds the project in the crystalline logic of snow and the spatiality of the forest, two defining elements of Finnish nature. The name Kide, Finnish for ice crystal, captures the geometric clarity shaping the form of the pavilion. Inside, filtered daylight, slender timber members, and a sense of enclosure evoke the calmness of woodland interiors, creating an atmosphere that shifts with the seasons and the events hosted beneath it."

"Eight interwoven glulam trusses form the pavilion's square footprint. These elements are mechanically connected in a sequence that generates both rigidity and a visual rhythm, their geometry becoming legible through a translucent metal mesh that wraps the outer surface. The mesh reveals rather than hides: it turns the structure's anatomy into part of the architectural experience, emphasizing depth and shadow without adding visual heaviness."

Kide is a crystalline wooden pavilion installed in Kuhmo that provides a flexible cultural and civic venue for performances, markets, and everyday meetings. The form translates the fractal geometry of snow and the spatial qualities of forest interiors into an inhabitable canopy. The square footprint is formed by eight interwoven glulam trusses mechanically connected to generate rigidity and visual rhythm. A translucent metal mesh wraps the outer surface, revealing the structure's anatomy and emphasizing depth and shadow while keeping visual lightness. Prefabricated glulam and LVL roof panels were produced at Aalto University and assembled on site, creating a sheltered, seasonally responsive space for the town's community.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine