Concept Model

Helsinki in Finland has one of the world’s highest living standards: populous and rich in art, culture and history. The city is composed of a significant amount of linguistic and ethnic groups whose taste and tradition have gracefully integrated to the city’s own aesthetic. 

For the general shape of the lobby, Helsinki’s Philharmonic Orchestra became an inspiration: representing the likeness of a violin from the aerial perspective. The burnt orange shade is owed to Finland’s Hotel Kamp’s aura during Christmas time. The purpose of this was to create a sense of warmth and invitation like in festive moods- something sought out during vacations or hotel stays. Furthermore, it would create a nice splash of colour in the city’s exisiting landscape- earthy, homey and intimate in quality.

The bamboo-sticks arch was painted black- a colour that exudes sophistication and elegance and meshes really well with the model palette.

Finland mining is concentrated on the extraction of industrial minerals and precious stones/metals. To bring that element to play, I used translucent stones of three different colours: warm yellow, ink blue and pleochroic. These colour choices are intended to highlight the climate: the warmth of hot summers and the chill of cold winters. The pleochroic gem emphasizes the magic and allure of Aurora Borealis of Finland. These gemstones are mounted and placed in a way so that it resembles a structure emerging from the grounds-mining- and branches out on the black arch-culture. Since the different colours are differently sprinkled, light shines through each of the stones and the apertures in between in a marvellous fashion, casting dynamically geometric shadow and reflection onto the interior ground. I wanted to harmonize the stones into the model to really drive home the “luxurious” aspect and I think it really is a “Land, ahoy!” moment. To add the art/sculptural element to the lobby, some of the gems are strewn a little into the entrance which also doubles as a direction towards the playful, grey paper-reception loop.

The paper used for the ground has the corn-coloured marble texture which is aimed to add to the grandiose. The grey of the paper is a nod to the heated pavement of the city grounds, necessary due to its extreme winters.

The model is photographed with different light settings which allowed experimentation and manipulation of the colour and light phenomenas in the concept model. With brighter light of greater value, the colour palette of the model itself comes off pure and powerful while in light of lower value and more directionally focused, a sense of mystery and exorbitance is devised.