Käenpoika, a New Addition to the Rauhalinna Castle

The new guest house, Käenpoika (the Cuckoo Chick), introduces a contemporary layer of wood architecture to the Rauhalinna Castle. With its strong sculptural form and red shingle cladding, it engages in a dialogue with the other buildings in the yard. As a wooden building with a pitched roof, the new guest house brings together traditional methods of building and new ways of using wood.

The load bearing structure in the new building is of cross laminated timber, CLT. This makes it possible to realize the construction in a time efficient and ecologically sustainable manner. The use of shingles in the façade cladding is a traditional solution that binds the new building together with the historical nature of the manor. While the red color continues the traditional color palette of the wooden buildings in the yard, the decision to paint the shingles red strongly deviates from the traditional way of treating shingles.

Wood is strongly present also in the interiors of the guest house. The carefully designed composition of openings continues the theme of deliberately framed views that is characteristic to the old mansion. Like in the old main building, also in the new guest house each room offers a different view into the surrounding landscape and has a unique atmosphere of its own.

With the addition of the new lodging house, Käenpoika, the project for the restoration and renovation of the Rauhalinna Castle provides an example of how a layer of contemporary architecture with a voice of its own can added to complement a historical landmark to improve its functionality.

For more information on the Rauhalinna project as a whole, see HERE.