Senate Properties held a two-stage architectural competition for a Cultural Centre for the Saami (Lapps) to be built by the Juutuanjoki River in the village of Inari. Phase 1 of the competition, which took the form of ideation to find the architectonic and functional concept for the Cultural Centre, was closed on 30 June 2008, and a total of 58 entries were received for it.

According to the award panel, the entries, which were produced by both Finns and foreigners, approached the architectural solution for the Cultural Centre in gratifyingly many different ways. The award panel has decided to invite six entries for the second phase of the competition, to be held 1 September – 3 October 2008. The competitors will be given directions specific to their entry on how to proceed with the further development of their entries.

Phase 2 of the competition will be concluded on 3 December 2008. The competition entries were submitted under code names, so the real names of the parties responsible for the works chosen to continue are not known at this stage. The actual design work for the Cultural Centre will begin in January 2009 and construction will get under way in spring 2010. The plan is for the building to enter service in 2012.

Press release entirely.