Axonometric view. Image © JKMM

As if squeezed by its neighbors, Chappe rises from a poured-in-place concrete base, emerging above nearby rooftops as a wood-frame structure with steep metal-clad dormers that bring daylight into its top-floor galleries. Like the Amos Rex, which sits mostly below a large plaza and pokes above ground as a series of rolling mounds topped with skylights, Chappe hides some of its space while hinting at what’s inside. Vertical battens of black spruce clad the exterior and allude to the long tradition of wood architecture in Tammisaari. Inside, a choreographed progression unfolds as the sleek, white-surfaced basement level gives way to a ground-floor lobby fitted with textured and heavily grained wood crafted by local carpenters, and then to spacious galleries on the top floor defined by crisscrossing beams of glue-laminated timber. Skylights and strategically placed windows bring daylight inside the upper galleries, but can be darkened to protect artwork when needed. Jaaksi worked with a number of artists on the interiors, commissioning a large ceramic piece by Karin Wildnäs for the entry foyer and an intricate light installation for the ceiling of that space.

In an age when people can access so much online, architects need to give people a reason to explore the physical world, Jaaksi argues. “We try to make buildings that welcome people and make them feel comfortable,” he says. “Our goal is to create spatial experiences you can’t get on a computer screen.” Though small in size, Chappe offers a complex progression of outdoor and indoor spaces that defer to a much-cherished urban context while asserting its own architectural identity. Humble but brave. 

The Chappe Art House seen in its context. Photo © Hannu Rytky