“The view of the Archipelago, art and food as the engines of tourism development.”

Case Salmittu tower path & observation tower Fokka

Fokka is the first tower on the experiential tower path we planned for the archipelago of Finland Proper. The observation tower is situated on top of a rock so that from its upper terrace there’s a view of the archipelago over the treetops. The tower can be reached by taking a tortuous path, and it can be seen already from the beginning of the route. It announces its presence and invites visitors. The route circles the tower from a distance, and only coming closer, the tower reveals itself in all its glory. It astonishes the visitor for a while. The structure of the tower is based on a simple joinery technique that enables the free form of the exterior. The stairs, walls and terraces are of the same structure that consists of 100x100mm planed beams cut-to-size with a computer controlled saw. The structure has been optimized so that there is no waste. To reinforce the structure, the wood beams are connected with notched joints to form a tight grid structure. The cut-to-size sawing of the structure and the notched joints are machine-tooled with CNC machines.