Snøhetta reveals new masterplan for Paimio Sanatorium
As part of a new future vision for Aino and Alvar Aalto's iconic masterpiece in the woods of Paimio, Finland, Snøhetta has developed a masterplan for the former tuberculosis sanatorium and hospital. The proposal builds on the conviction that guided the Aaltos throughout their work: that architecture exists, above all, to serve human wellbeing.
Working in close partnership with the Paimio Foundation, Snøhetta reimagines the Sanatorium as a destination that combines hospitality, wellness, cultural spaces, and arenas for international dialogue. The ambition is that the premises can become a destination for reflection, wellbeing and social diplomacy – a meeting place where questions of care, design, and our shared future can be explored.
The former surgery wing will be adapted into a flexible auditorium with a new entrance for visitors, while the patient wing is envisioned as a calm and understated hospitality section. The reopening of the iconic sun balconies, alongside the introduction of a lower-level spa with direct access to the outdoors and surrounding forest, extends the Aaltos' original vision of light, air, forest, and breathing as integral elements of healing – helping to secure both the longevity of the architecture and its relationship to nature.
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.
Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta
Bringing the nature back close
Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta, says:
“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. Grounded in research, each intervention is carefully considered, preserving the building’s integrity while allowing it to evolve.”
One of the strategies under consideration is to bring nature closer to the rear façade of the building by introducing a new entrance. The currently asphalted forecourt is proposed to be resurfaced in slate and articulated with new planting.
By introducing a new entrance that provides direct access to the flexible auditorium, events can be hosted independently of the building's daily operations, while also improving circulation through the site. Within the auditorium, the space is proposed to be opened up across two levels to create a large, flexible venue accommodating approximately 200 people. The room is envisioned with a birch slatted wal – referencing the Aaltos' architectural language – that integrates both technical installations and acoustic performance.
Modest interventions with a transformative effect
The existing patient rooms are proposed for conversion into hotel rooms through modest adaptations. Whereas bathrooms were previously shared along the corridor, the new programme introduces rooms of varying sizes – ranging from compact rooms with shared facilities, to rooms with small, integrated bathroom units, and larger rooms offering full amenities.
The rooms emphasise the Aalto couple's original intention of designing with care for the patient by retaining the original proportions. Surfaces are carefully reconstructed, while new elements – such as the bathroom units – are introduced as freestanding furniture in lacquered birch veneer, creating a clear distinction between the existing and the new.
From the corridors outside the rooms, there is access to the iconic, elongated open balconies, which are proposed to be reinstated as open structures without the glass enclosures introduced at a later stage.
Care without a cure
Designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto and completed in 1933, Paimio Sanatorium stands among the foundational works of modern architecture. Conceived as an instrument of healing at a time when no cure for tuberculosis existed, it was shaped in every dimension around the patient and the human relationship to light, air, and the surrounding landscape.
The building served first as a sanatorium for patients suffering from the then‑widespread and often fatal disease, and later as a general hospital, remaining in use until the mid-2010s. Together with the Vyborg Library, it carried Finnish architecture onto the world stage and confirmed the Aaltos among the leading figures of the modern movement.
(...) 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.
Mirkku Kullberg, Chair of the Board, Paimio Sanatorium Foundation
Mirkku Kullberg, Chair of the Board, Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, says:
"The proposed concept is internationally relevant, intellectually compelling, and multidisciplinary in nature. Under the leadership of Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, 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.
The Masterplan establishes the conditions for building both national and international networks of partners and collaborators, thereby creating the foundation for a new future for Paimio Sanatorium.”
Entering a new era
The revitalisation of Paimio began in 2020 with the establishment of the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, with the aim of safeguarding the Aaltos' vision while securing an active future for the site. Research has identified a well-being centre and hotel as the most suitable new use, complemented by cultural activities, enabling planning and permit processes to advance with the support of both national and international experts.
Paimio Sanatorium is among the Aalto sites proposed for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, with a decision expected in July 2026.
The first phase of the master planning has been carried out in collaboration with Helsinki-based ALA Architects and Mustonen Architects, one of the foremost authorities on the Aaltos' built legacy.
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Credit: Proloog/Snøhetta
About Paimio Sanatorium
- In Paimio, Finland
- Completed 1933
- Designed by Finnish architect and designer duo Aino and Alvar Aalto – widely regarded as among the leading figures of modernist architecture, particularly known for their humanistic, nature-oriented approach.
- Built as a tuberculosis sanatorium, later used as hospital. Today a tourist attraction.
- The building is designed with the reclining human body as its point of departure, and the entire complex is shaped with the patient in mind.
- The property comprises the main building together with fourteen additional structures.
- Granted protection in Finland in 1993 under the Finnish Building Protection Act.
- The complex was included on UNESCO's tentative list in 2004, and is part of the “Aalto Works” nomination.
Ida Halvorsen Kemp
Mirkku Kullberg