Aaltos' Paimio Sanatorium set to be turned into "future-oriented" hotel by Snøhetta
Architecture studio Snøhetta has released images of its vision for a hotel in Aino and Alvar Aalto's iconic 1930s sanatorium in Paimio, Finland, which will include turning patient rooms into bedrooms.
Snøhetta revealed that Paimio Sanatorium, which was completed in 1933 as a place of healing for tuberculosis patients, will now become a hotel complete with wellness and cultural spaces.
The former surgery wing will be transformed into a flexible, two-storey auditorium that can accommodate up to 200 people. It will be clad in birch slatted wall that nods to the Aaltos' architectural language and will be used for technical installations and acoustic performance.
The wing will also be given a new visitor entrance (top image), which Snøhetta says will improve circulation throughout the building and mean that events can be hosted independently of the rest of the site.
Paimio Sanatorium's patient wing, meanwhile, will be turned into a "calm and understated" hospitality area, with patient rooms turned into bedrooms.
These will be informed by the original design, with some pairs of rooms combined to create larger suites.
The bathrooms will be designed as freestanding furniture in lacquered birch veneer to create a contrast between the old and the new.
In the old patient wing, the studio also envisions reopening the Aaltos' iconic sun balconies, which are currently enclosed with glass that was added at a later stage.
A spa will be added on the lower level. It will have direct access to the forest, underlining the architects' original vision that saw proximity to nature as a prominent part of the healing process.
"With profound respect for the legacy of Aino and Alvar Aalto – and particularly the Paimio Sanatorium – we approach this project with the ambition of opening the site for thoughtful future use," Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen said.
"Grounded in research, each intervention is carefully considered, preserving the building’s integrity while allowing it to evolve."
Snøhetta also aims to bring nature closer to the building by turning the existing asphaleted forecourt into a slate surface and adding new planting.
"The Snøhetta team has succeeded in creating a thoughtful balance between conservation and restorative architecture, while at the same time opening space for new ideas and future-oriented thinking that respectfully honours the architectural legacy of Aino and Alvar Aalto," said Paimio Sanatorium Foundation's chair of the board Mirkku Kullberg.
The masterplan's first phase was carried out together with Helsinki-based ALA Architects and Mustonen Architects.
The sanatorium was in use as a general hospital until 2010, with the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation established in 2020. It is among the Aalto sites proposed to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, with a decision expected in July 2026.
Snøhetta also recently unveiled designs for a mesh-covered office in Miami Design District and completed the renovation of Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers in France.
The visuals are by Proloog/Snøhetta.
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