Suure-Jaani Health Centre

SUURE JAANI HEALTH CENTRE

Ahitekt must

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Kristijan lust

CATEGORY
Spa, Security, Sustainability

LOCATION
Suure-jaani, Estonia

ARCHITECT
Arhitekt Must

AREA
3120 M²

YEAR
2019

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
Kuup Disain Oü, Riin Kärema, Kerli Lepp, Mari Põld

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Novarc Group As

CONSTRACTOR
Eviko As, Kivipartner Oü

ENGINEERING
Novarc Group As

DESIGN TEAM
Kaidi Põder, Katrin Vilberg, Gert Guriev, Liina-liis Pihu, Märten Peterson

CLIENTS
Põhja Sakala Vald

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Kristijan lust

Text description provided by architect.

The building was born out of desire to resist the depopulation of small towns and the lifelessness of town centres. In order to activate urban life, a spatial program of a multifaceted public building was erected. The building was born as a result of a public architecture competition.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre is located on the former site of the fire brigade clubhouse next to the central square in small rural town Suure-Jaani, Estonia. The complex consists of new built units adjoining the historical tower of the fire station.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Tõnu Tunnel
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi

 The building had to improve town’s public services (swimming pool, ambulance, police) and add value to locals’ quality of life (health centre, rehabilitation clinic among others), while also functioning as the town’s tourist and recreational destination (SPA, visitor centre, café).

 The most important architectural decision of the authors was structuring the spatial programme into smaller units in order to blend the relatively large building into small town’s urban tissue.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi

The six smaller volumes are designed as archetypal pitched roof buildings, which create large airy void in-between them.

 Central void, closely connected with the outdoor space, hosts the water park based on amosphere of Soomaa National Park floods.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi

Soomaa (translates from Estonian to ’bog-land’) National Park is located in the vicinity of the Suure-Jaani settlement.

It is known for the natural phenomenon of high water, which once a year floods roads, villages, fields and forests, making the landscape accessible only by watercraft.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi

The core water park area of the building is the designed as a flooded field of water between the archetypal pitched roof volumes.

 The pools are designed as reminiscent of the local landscape with the borderlines of bog pools and floodplains visible in its geometry.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi

The ceiling above the watery landscape features a clouded sky blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor areas.

The load-bearing constructions of the building are made of concrete, steel and timber.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Terje Ugandi
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Tõnu Tunnel

Keeping in mind the local milieu and the materials used in the original structure, the building is finished off with the area’s characteristic red brick.

 The historic rubble and brick walls of the body of the building are preserved and displayed.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Kristijan lust
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Kristijan lust

The roofs of the energy-efficient building are covered with dark tiles integrated with solar panels by a local manufacturer.

 The finishing of the interior and pool makes extensive use of polyurea coating and translucent stretch ceilings.

Suure-Jaani Health Centre
© Tõnu Tunnel


Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Site Plans
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Plan - Ground floor 
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Plan - 1st floor
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Plan - 2st floor


Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Section 3-3
Suure-Jaani Health Centre
Section 1-1