ACH ARCHITECTURE

FISKETS HUS  was planned as a new living room for inhabitants of Vaasa, of all ages and all year round - as much on a stormy autumn evening as on a February day after sledging. A concept that would revolve around the fishing industry and the fish itself. This was the idea of initiator Johanna Stenback, who together with chef Michael Björklund developed a concept that would bring together the Ostrobothnian Fishermen's Association, a fish restaurant and a fish market. ACH architecture took the concept further to a modern architecture rooted in history, place and industry.

From the context architect Ann Charlott Hästö caught several important aspects. Aspects that turned out to be the winning entry.

‘Vaasa has a city plan like a grid, i.e. very linear with esplanades that continue down to the water and with a shore that breaks this grid. The architecture would retain that break and direction. Architect C A Setterberg created a sea shore for this area already 160 years ago, in connection with the detailed plan for the city of Vaasa. In that zone there is a park with a very majestic building, ‘Rantalinna’. One should be humble before the history and essence of this building. So the question was born - is a traditional angular architecture an option for this place?

​

Fishing and fish also became a common thread and a metaphor. The water of Kvarken has one of the richest fishing grounds for many fish, including whitefish, in Finland. Sitting in the fishing boat or by the jetty, or walking across the bridge - elements that became the embryo of the architecture.

The result was a beach formation, a raised shoreline, a roof like a bridge under which all functions were gathered, with portals connecting to the water and the surrounding public space.

The concept together with the architecture was the winning entry in the architecture/idea competition organised by the City of Vaasa in summer 2016. The competition sought quality of construction, innovative architecture, adaptation to the environment but also a viable business idea. As well as keeping the beach area public and open to all. The winning entry had these elements.

 

A new detail plan for the area was made on the basis of the competition entry and a very good dialogue was maintained with the City of Vaasa, which also meant that the plan was produced with a very favourable timetable.

The roof had a pedestrian walkway in the competition phase, but was dropped during the process of the detailed plan. The roof was instead realised as a sod roof, given its specific role as the fifth façade, also being next to a park.

 

Outdoor lighting played an important role because the building is on the waterfront for reflections and adjacent to the city centre entrance. The only requirement from the architectural planning to the lighting design was to emphasise the design language. A fish formation is the result of what the evening lighting creates thanks to the reflection in the water.

 

The aim of the competition was to bring the historical seashore zone and waterfront area life and make it a more active part of the city, and it is what the Fiskets Hus does. A versatile use of the area was created and the architecture gave an additional dimension to Fiskstranden.

As City Director Tomas Häyry said in his opening speech in summer 2019 - Fiskets Hus is taking Vaasa by storm!

 

The building was nominated for “Vuoden Puupalkinto” in 2019

https://www.teritalot.fi/kokemuksia/kalastuksen-talo-vaasalaisten-oma-olohuone/

​

Architect: ACH architecture ab/Ann Charlott Hästö, assistance Arkkitehtitoimisto Tommi Varis

Head planning: Ingenjörsbyrå AK-plan

Construction: Österåker&Österåker, Jens Österåker

Main contractor(KVR): Byggtjänst H-E Storlund

Prefabricated construction: Teri Hus

Buidling techniques: Granlund Pohjanmaa

Lighting design: BEMI, Michael Bendtsen

Entreprenuers: Fiskdisken,  Restaurant Hejm, Österbottens Fiskarförbund,

​

​​