The wooden Metsä Pavilion is to be built on the grounds of the Finnish Embassy in Tokyo. The Pavilion is constructed of prefabricated wood elements made of Kerto LVL (laminated veneer lumber). Metsä Wood, the producer of Kerto LVL, sees collaboration as an important factor in the growth of wood construction. Projects like Metsä Pavilion present a perfect opportunity for industry professionals to get together and share knowledge – making the most of Kerto LVL as a fast, light and green construction material.
The wooden elements were produced by the element factory Timberpoint, located in Loviisa, Finland.
“Trusting wood, and what can be done with it, is moving wood construction forward. This calls for collaboration with builders, architects, material producers and element factories,” explains Marko Suonpää, co-owner of Timberpoint.
Collaboration during different stages of planning and building also helps with industrial efficiency: since the element factory had been part of the planning process from the early stages, production could be done with maximum efficiency. It took only seven weeks to manufacture all the elements.
Design in collaboration
The Metsä Pavilion project has been a joint effort from the very beginning. Metsä Wood brought the professionals together and shared knowledge about Kerto LVL’s possibilities. Everyone involved got to focus on their core speciality and expertise.
“We didn’t really use any new or innovative techniques: we worked with what we already knew,” says Jussi Björman, Director of Technical Customer Service at Metsä Wood. “You could actually build apartment buildings using similar techniques.”
“What was new, however, was the better use of element production expertise: Marko Suonpää and other professionals from Timberpoint were in touch with the Pavilion’s structural designer Lasse Hietanen from AINS Group from the very beginning of the project.”
According to Björman, collaboration between everyone involved has been fluent. The diversity of the group of professionals has brought many good ideas to the table when people working with different parts of the building process have been in contact with each other.
“Metsä Pavilion has been an interesting project,” says Suonpää. “It has massive LVL column structures. And Kerto LVL is also visible on every surface,” he continues. “As a material, wood is easy and fast to work with. The benefits of Kerto LVL are dimensional stability and strength.”
Wood elements to be proud of
Suonpää also had his hands on a very prominent detail that became his favourite part of the Pavilion.
“The staircase was closest to my heart. It was uniquely demanding and prestigious, and it was nice to make,” says Suonpää.
The idea was to cut 75 mm thick Kerto LVL panels into the shape of the stairs and glue them together. The veneers thus formed a striped and visually interesting surface for a striking staircase.
“Metsä Pavilion will be in the public eye and a place of events. It has been a meaningful project for us, and it will remind us of the good quality work we’ve done.”