Rautulampi Wilderness Huts

Photo Credit Icon Manu Humppi

Rautulampi Wilderness Huts

  • Icon for wildlife Wildlife
  • Icon for facilities Facilities

Urho Kekkonen National Park in Eastern Lapland is the second most visited national park. The new Rautulampi huts represent contemporary design deriving from the traditional wilderness huts and the harsh weather conditions in the fells.

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    Cities and towns

  • national_parks

    National parks

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    UNESCO sites

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    UNESCO global geoparks

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    Main roads

  • airports

    Airports

  • cruise_ports

    Cruise ports

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    Case

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    Infrastructure

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    Walking path

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    Grass

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    Trees / Forest

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    River / Ocean

Rautulampi architecture and landscape illustration.

How to build in remote locations in the wilderness?

New huts were needed when the old Rautulampi hut in the Urho Kekkonen National Park had burned down. The solution was to design a group of buildings to be made up of prefabricated wooden elements that were transportable on snowmobiles..

New interpretation of a traditional wilderness hut

The group of new huts in Rautulampi consist of an open wilderness hut and a rental hut under one roof, both accommodating 8 hikers, a day hut and an auxiliary building for firewood and dry closets. The design of the huts has had a varied reception: some love the modern look while others find the evolution from traditional huts alienating. While the layout of the huts is rather conventional with just a few additions for better functionality, the materials and the architecture are very modern. Prefabricated CLT modules offered transportability and ease of installation in a remote off-road location. The roofs wrap around to form sides of the huts facing strong winds and snowfall. The functionality of the huts is enhanced with a drying room for equipment and an entryway that protects the indoors from the wind.   

Key facts

  • Location

    Urho Kekkonen National Park, near Ivalo, Municipality of Sodankylä, Region of Lapland in Northern Finland

  • GPS points

    68°18'49.7"N 27°38'48.1"E

  • Protection Framework

    National park

  • Project Owner

    Metsähallitus

  • Designer

    Manu Humppi, architect

  • Year of construction

    2021

  • Materials

    prefabricated CLT modules

  • Landscape Type

    Wilderness, fells, lakeside