A NEW SCENIC HOTEL AND FOREST SPA TO BE BUILT ON TOP OF MOUNT TAHKO
The newest project for Panorama Bar is the scenic hotel and forest spa Raaha. The plans have been legalized and the building is supposed to begin in Spring of 2022.
In the first step of the plan a new 350M2 forest spa and 10 scenic suites are built on top of the mount Tahko. The forest spa and the suites will be situated in the southern side of Panorama Bar on top of the hill and the rest of the rooms will be situated in the nearby forests. A part of the new plans naturally is to build the basic infrastructure: a new road with new parking, municipal infrastructure and electricity and a new maintenance building. The current road to the top will be replaced with a new, wider and not so steep road. The road will come all the way to the top and a tunnel will be built underneath a slope where car can drive to the top and skiers can ski over it.
”We are going to build a high class scenic hotel and forest spa complex which will blend into the nature”, says the entrepeneur Harri Jokela from Panorama Bar.
The designer for the project is an architect working in Norway, professor Sami Rintala. Rintala has designed numerous travel destinations all over the globe such as Arctic hideway, built on the island of Fleinvaer in Bodø in northern Norway. ” I was interested in the project because the hote and spa’s basic idea to respect the nature was captivating. In northern Norway we have learned how to get travellers in the area without the nature being damaged by the growth in tourism”, Rintala says.
Raaha (Finnish colloquialism for peace) is a peaceful scenic hotel. All of the rooms in Raaha are separate scenic suites situated in the midst of trees overlooking the amazing views from the top of Tahko. ”We have chosen the building sites which have the best views. One suite overlooks the Tahko Village, the other the woods on top of the hill, the third the lake Syväri. The scenic suite isn’t just a place to sleep. It also has a deeper effect on the mind,thinking and overall wellness”, describes Jokela.
”A central figure in the ancient Finnish religion was the forest god Tapio. The names of the suites come from his flock, the animals of the forest. An observant resident can identify from the design of the suite whether it is a fox, badger, wolf, bear or a moose”, says Rintala.
The suites will be built from wood and the walls will be covered with shingle. The roof will be covered in forest floor. ”Shingles work in the forest because it’s not as smooth and hard as a surface as sawed timber. The building technology has gone forward leapes and bounds but sometimes you should still have faith in the local building tradition because it has been tested true for thousands of years and is based on having spare parts around”, Rintala says.
The saunas and outdoor swimmingpools of the forest spa are situated in the forest views where you can see all over Syväri lake. The water in the spa will be collected from the natural spring on Tahko mountain. ”The best thing in the whole concept is that we’re not just doing the spa indoors. Of course you will bathe and change your clothes inside but then you will go to the forest wearing your robe. You will enjoy a warm bath and sauna in the mids of nature and sometimes cool off in the snow and brisk air. This contrast between temperatures and standing outside in the nature steam coming off your body is the basis for a good sauna experience”, Rintala says
” The surrounding views are looked from inside the building like from the forest. The light and the view seep into the house”, Rintala describes.
The scenic hotel Raaha is going to be ecological and environmentally friendly. ” We want to highlight responsibilty for the nature. The hotel and spa only use renewable energy sources among other things”, emphasizes Jokela.
The plans for the changes in municipality in order to build the hotel has been started in November. ” The planning for the project will finish in 2021. Building can begin in spring 2022. We should be done by spring 2023”, Jokela says.
Check here for the overall brochyre with maps. pictures and timetables.
Additional information
Harri Jokela
phone. +358 440 493 462
harri.jokela(at)panoramabar.fi