Sajos – Sámi cultural center
The heart of culture and administration in the Sámi Land
The Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos is the center of Finnish Sámi administration and culture. In 2008 an open, international architectural competition was held for the building. The winning proposal imagines the cultural center as a four-pointed building, with a flowing lobby space structured by an oval-shaped parliament hall and a concert hall.
Among other functions, the building houses the Sámi Parliament (the administrative body of the Sámi in Finland), the Sámi Library, the Sámi Archives, the Sámi Education Center and several Sámi organizations. With the competition victory under their belt, the design working group founded an architectural firm, Halo Architects Ltd, that produced the implementation plans for the cultural center. The Sámi Cultural Center Sajos was opened in 2012.
Project information
Building identity through architecture
Very few public buildings related to the Sámi culture exist, and traditionally the buildings and structures have been peat huts, movable homes and small wooden buildings. In the absence of architectural models, the starting point for design was duodji, the tradition Sámi handicraft. The aesthetics of duodji originate in the efficient and appropriate use of the technical properties of the chosen material. A thoughtful style and decorativeness that emphasizes the local identity are also typical features of the handicraft tradition. The design language, functionality and atmosphere of the Sámi Cultural Center Sajos emerge from the very same principles; the goal has been to create a sustainable, beautiful and purposeful building that strengthens the Sámi culture through architecture.
Sajos is Inari Sámi and means a temporary dwelling or a base of operations
