The moment of final countdown for the World Championships in Lahti is here

Just a little over one year ago, on February 19, 2016, the countdown clock for the Lahti World Championships in Nordic Skiing in 2017 was officially started. Now the moment of the final countdown is here and it is time for the World Championships in Lahti.

The countdown clock for the World Championships in Lahti was designed by Anssi Lassila / OOPEAA. The clock has been counting down time to the start of the championships since February last year.

In line with the core value of the championships for Lahti, environmental responsibility, the clock is made of cross-laminated timber, CLT, and produced with local materials. It has been realized in collaboration with Stora Enso, the lead sponsor of the championships, who has provided the material for the clock, and built by students at the Lahti University of Applied Sciences and at the Salpaus Further Education.

The goal was to create a sculptural piece made of wood using Finnish knowhow and local materials. The multi-dimensional grid structure of the frame of the clock resembles that of a house of cards.The crystal-like composition also alludes to the graphic identity of the championships which takesthe multifaceted structure of a snowflake as its source of inspiration. The clock is made of the heartwood of local pine with a special oil treatmentthat improves the durability and ecological sustainability of the wood making it especially well suited for outdoor conditions.