The Countdown Clock for the Lahti World Championships by OOPEAA Unveiled

The countdown clock for the Lahti World Championships in Nordic Skiing in 2017 was officially started on February 19, 2016.

The countdown clock for the Lahti World Championships in Nordic Skiing has been designed by Anssi Lassila / OOPEAA. The clock is counting down time to the championships starting in February next year.

Environmental responsibility is a core value for Lahti in hosting the championships. Responding to that theme the clock is made of cross laminated timber, CLT, 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 unveiling of the countdown clock last weekend was the official start of the qualifying competitions consisting of a record number of a total of eleven events as part of the world championships.

The goal was to create a wooden sculptural piece with an interesting form using Finnish knowhow and local materials in the best possible way. The grid structure that resemles that of a house of cards serves as the frame of the sculpture forming an entity with multiple dimensions. The crystal-like strucure also alludes to the graphic identity of the championships with the structure of a snow flake as its source of inspiration.

The countdown clock has been made of the new oil-treated heartwood of pine recently launched by Stora Enso. Thanks to the oil-treatment, it lends itself especially well to outdoor conditions. The treatment improves the durability and ecological sustainability of the material.