Cultural River Float – Creating New Public Space by the River
The Cultural River Float is a floating pool, spa, restaurant and event facility in Turku, Finland. Located along a popular riverside promenade on Aurajoki, the river flowing through the city, the two-storey wooden floating structure is designed to provide a new place of cultural activity. On the River Aura in downtown Turku, it brings together the greenery on shore with the water of the river, both central elements in the identity of the city.
Extending the urban public space of the city, the Cultural River Float will function as a platform for a wide range of activities from sports to social gatherings. Serving people of all ages with a varied program of activities accessible throughout the year, the Cultural River Float will make the river a living part of the city. Including restaurants, event spaces, saunas and pools for swimming, it enriches the palette of cultural and leisure activities on offer in the city center.
Extension of the Public Space of the City
With its wide terraces and lounge stairs, the structure forms an extension of the urban public space by the river. It provides a functional platform for a diverse range of activities. Adapting to different times of day and seasons, it activates the city’s relationship with the river as an important part of its identity. It offers both city residents and visitors the opportunity to experience the city’s connection with the river in new way.
The sculpted shape of the pavilion-like restaurant gives the Cultural River Float a strong visual identity. The weightless appearance of the floating structure is emphasized by the multifaceted roof with long eaves. It links the structure with the surrounding modernist buildings with its bold, contemporary expression. The green creepers growing along the walls, in turn, connect with the greenery in the park by the river. The generous roof terraces afford great views over the river and the surrounding city.
Connecting to the Surroundings with Views over the River
The wide, amphitheater like wooden stairs in both ends of the structure form a functional focal point for the building. The terraced composition of the pools, the wide wooden stairs, and the parts housing sheltered interior spaces, along with the extended eaves forming covered outdoor spaces, gives the structure a light appearance. It connects the river float in spirit with the important cultural buildings in the area, such as the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum.
The pavilion-like structure actively opens out to the surrounding urban space and the river landscape. The large glazed wall surfaces, opening in all directions, create extensive views from the interior spaces. They also closely connect the building to the surrounding Kulttuurijoki area by the river. To allow open views across the entire elongated entity from one bank of the river to the other, the pool functions are placed in the middle of the platform. They float entirely below the shore embankment wall.
Placed behind the slatted walls, the entrances are seamlessly integrated into the facade architecture of the floating structure. Overall, the entrance floor is characterized by a dialogue between the slatted cladding and the open glass surfaces.
Cultural River Float with Wood as the Main Material
With pine as its main material, wood is a strongly visible element in the building. It is made of CLT with a wooden post-and-beam structure on floating pontoons. In the façades, durable and beautifully aging materials are used. In the parts exposed to the weather – like the large terrace surfaces both in the pool area and in connection with the restaurant – the facade cladding and the battens are made of heat-treated wood. It will acquire a slivery grey patina over time.
In the more sheltered parts of the facades under the long, extended eaves, the wooden panel surfaces are treated with a transparent finish. The subtle variations in the materials create a smooth continuation between the interior and exterior spaces.
The terrace areas are mainly clad with heat-treated planks. In the pool area and on the outdoor stairs, the walkways will be clad with stone to make it possible to keep them frost-proof.
The railing structures are implemented as slender galvanized steel railings. It is a natural and sustainable option in the water landscape. For energy-saving reasons, in the pool area, there is also a glass railing behind the railings of the pools.
The extended eaves protect the structure and form covered outdoor areas. The edges of the roof will be covered with dark sheet metal. The technical equipment will be concentrated under the roof’s technical enclosure.
A Cultural River Float with a Diverse Program
The spaces are divided into functionally differentiated zones. The lower level is dedicated to spa functions and event spaces. They have direct access to the outdoor swimming facilities, including a 25 meter long heated pool, a hot pool and a pool with cold water, as well as expansive sundecks. The lobby and ticket sales are placed nearby the main entrance.
On the second floor, a rooftop restaurant with a a large, partially covered terrace area lifts the visitors above the water for stunning vistas of the river and the surrounding old town. Views open from all main spaces out to the river. Seamlessly blending the outdoors with the indoor spaces, the large public terraces further accentuate the experience of river views.
The different levels are connected by an accessible elevator and an open staircase. At one end of the platform there is a one-story section, which houses the pool equipment room, chemical rooms, staff rooms and toilet facilities serving the pool area. The kitchen and toilet facilities as well the technical spaces serving the restaurant are placed in direct connection with the restaurant. The roofs of the one story high sections of the buildings serve as terraces.
A Floating Structure along the River Embankment
The support facilities are located on the shore. To keep them as compact as possible, the technical facilities are placed underground. The above-ground parts, including the waste shed and the maintenance elevator, will be clad with dark metal grating. That will give them a uniform and light appearance in line with the character of the floating structure.
The Cultural Rover Float is anchored to the shore embankment wall. It has an elevation of +2.400/N2000. In normal water conditions, the elevation of the floating structure’s entrance level is approximately one meter below that of the shore embankment wall. This requires the entrances to the structure to be arranged in a way that can adapt to significant fluctuations in the water levels. Further, Itäinen Rantakatu is approximately two meters higher than the shore embankment wall. Considering the elevation difference, a maintenance lift must be built in the street area.
Building the Cultural River of Aurajoki in Collaboration
Carefully considering the needs of the delicate location by the river, the plans for the Cultural River Float are prepared in close collaboration with the City of Turku. To accommodate the floating structure, a deviation decision was granted for the plot in September 2025. A building permit for the structure was granted in May 2206. The current design solution does not require any additional deviation decisions.
The project is realized in collaboration between OOPEAA and Nordic Urban. The design is based on the competition winning proposal “Kaarna”. It is developed on the basis of the Allas Global Concept created by OOPEAA to Nordic Urban. You can find more information on them on our homepage.