Monio High School and Cultural Center / AOR Architects

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Monio continues the long tradition of building with timber logs in the area surroundingTuusulaLake. Historical timber log buildings in the area include, for example, the several lakeside villas of some of the national artists of Finland. The Golden Age of Finnish art had its origin in artists coming together in the Tuusula Lake area to exchange thoughts and to work together. In a similar way, Monio allows its users to get inspired, express themselves, and learn from each other by experimenting and doing.Text description provided by the architects.The new high school and cultural centre Monio is located in the former military garrison area next to Hyrylä town centre. The architecture of Monio interprets the characteristics of its historical surroundings and creates a landmark connecting the developing area to the town centre. Monio can be considered the most important public building in Tuusula.Monio is the first three-story public building made of log in Finland and a completely new kind of wooden building, combining also other wood construction methods with the log frame. The project can be seen as a radical experiment in the use of industrial timber logs on the scale of a large public building. The architecture is strongly based on material and, more specifically, on the use of timber logs. The building consists of six connected log houses that border a network of high interior streets, forming the main lobby. The log houses have exterior walls and partition walls towards the interior made of 275 mm-thick cross-laminated non-settling log. There is no additional insulation needed in the exterior wall, with the massive timber structure forming both the bearing structure and the insulation, as well as the finished exterior and interior surfaces of the wall. The project was awarded the Construction Site of the Year Award in 2022 and the Finnish Wood Prize in 2023.Monio exemplifies the concept of a public building shared by several user groups. In addition to mainly functioning as a high school during the day, the spaces of the building are also used by the local music school, arts school, community college, and cultural services of the municipality. By combining the functions of different users in one building, all users get better spaces than they would get separately, more for less. A shared building also encourages different users to encounter and collaborate. Monio welcomes all citizens with a café, gallery space, and various events open to the public.