We created a successful hotel concept in Tampere

Team Studio Puisto thought up ideas for a pop-up hotel for the Independence Day Reception, which was organized in Tampere that year. We interviewed city residents, local MPs, the hotel entrepreneur, a travel organisation, property owners and youth services, for instance, about creative use of empty spaces and their own needs. Instead of a one-night pop-up hotel, we suggested a new hotel concept that could be implemented in empty production and office spaces, which could also be transformed, for example, into rehearsal space for bands.

Ville Virkki, a hotel entrepreneur from Tampere, got excited about the idea presented at Design Sprint and asked us to start planning a new hotel for his company. The planning started two months later, and the hotel was completed at a fast pace in July 2014

The point of departure for planning was a new kind of sustainable and flexible use of hotel space and fresh Finnish design. In the mini-sized rooms, only the necessities are private, and the rest is shared with other customers in the communal spaces. This results in communal spaces that are more flexible and adaptable – and indeed, communal. In addition to sustainable use of space, we aimed at using as much Finnish wood as possible, as well as natural surface materials – wood waxes, sisal and wool. The result is a fresh and light but at the same time earthy and communal set of hotel rooms, which offers a unique and high-quality accommodation option as well as quality conference space in the centre of Tampere, in close proximity to Tampere Hall.

The Design Sprint was commissioned by the city planning department of Tampere. This project was made possible by the city, which is becoming more common. The workshop sparked discussion about the use of empty spaces and proved that cities need enthusiastic and courageous entrepreneurs to engine their development. The city can use Design Sprint, among other things, to inspire entrepreneurs. In this Design Sprint, an entrepreneur got an idea for a concept and at the same time, a talented, inventive and ambitious partner to plan the hotel, which has become a great success. As a result, the business has grown larger, and now it employs a couple of more locals and has boosted the development of the Tulli area.

The fruitful cooperation didn’t end with this one project. After the hotel project, Studio Puisto and the owner couple have been envisioning new forms of communal living and are working together on a new project in Tampere.

Heikki Riitahuhta / Studio Puisto
heikki@studiopuisto.fi
Tel. +358 50 433 2757