Pro Nemus Visitor Centre – Like a Walk in the Woods

Metsä Group’s Pro Nemus visitor centre was opened next to the bioproduct mill in Äänekoski in June 2018. The memorable new building combines virtual reality and real nature, and showcases the possibilities of the lumber industry and Finnish wood. The Sweco structural designers wanted to show the endless possibilities of industrial wood construction. The project was one of the biggest investments by the Finnish lumber industry and it will receive a lot of attention during its long lifespan.

“The world needs sustainably produced renewable materials. Metsä Group wants to develop forestry activities and forest use more actively in the future. The visitor centre shows how it can be done,” Metsä Group Communications Manager Juha Laine says.

The dark colour, the materials, the shape and the high glass facade makes the building stand out from its surroundings and the mill area. Pro Nemus is Latin and means “on behalf of the forest.” The visitor centre houses an exhibition and offers a memorable visit with its realistic virtual reality trip to the Metsä Group mill and forests. The exhibition is surrounded by real trees, vertical gardens and modern wooden surfaces, and offers a chance to explore the bioproduct mill ecosystem, lumber industry products and their journey into the world. One of the most impressive installations is the dark interactive space which explores sustainable forestry.

The Sweco structural designers wanted to show the endless possibilities of industrial wood construction. The vastly experienced structural designers cooperated in designing a wooden building with new Kerto® LVL column and beam solutions. The wooden beams were left visible together with the beautifully treated veneer surfaces. The visitor centre structure can be explored by peeking through little hatches made for this purpose.

Pro Nemus is a prime example of fast construction using wood. The wooden construction of one thousand square metres was built in only 214 days, largely due to the premade Kerto LVL elements. Sweco was responsible for the structural engineering of the project, which included wooden construction and wood element design, concrete structure design, and repair construction design for the Korjaamo-area.