Snøhetta overhauls 1930s Aalto sanatorium in Finland as wellness destination

Snøhetta has unveiled a new masterplan for the future of Paimio Sanatorium, a Finnish modernist building designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto. The proposal would see the site transformed into a destination for hospitality, wellness, and culture.

Developed in collaboration with the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, the proposal outlines a long-term vision for adapting the former tuberculosis sanatorium while preserving the principles that informed the original design. Completed in 1933, the building was conceived as a therapeutic environment, with architecture, light, fresh air, and surrounding forest all considered parts of the treatment of tuberculosis patients.

The masterplan proposes converting the former surgery wing into a 200-seat auditorium with a dedicated visitor entrance, allowing events to operate independently from the site’s day-to-day functions. The existing patient wing would be adapted ...