The competition for the business premises transfer at Vaakahuone, located on Linnankatu by the Aura River, has been won by the entry named "Kätketty puutarha". Behind the name are Turku-based entrepreneurs and the architecture office Schauman & Nordgren Architects.
The City of Turku launched the competition for the transfer of the business premises in January 2026 in order to sell the Vaakahuone building and develop its operations and the surrounding area.
The task was to create ideas for business activities in the area and find a solution for the terrace area connected to the protected Vaakahuone building and for a possible extension. The competition programme required that the characteristic features of the Vaakahuone building be preserved and that any new construction must not exceed the height of the old building.
Three proposals were submitted by the deadline. On Monday 8 June, the City Board decided on the winner based on the proposal of the evaluation group. The evaluation of the competition proposals placed particular emphasis on suitability for the environment, high-quality architecture, functionality and feasibility.
Based on the evaluation, the proposal submitted under the name "Kätketty puutarha" (in English "The Hidden Garden") was selected as the winner. Behind the name are Turku-based entrepreneurs Alexander Törnroth and Christian Juup, as well as Peter Sarlin. Törnroth is known as the founder of Kakola Brewing Company, Juup as the entrepreneur behind the Finnish sauna heater manufacturer Ab Juup Oy, and Sarlin as a founder of Silo AI, Nest AI and Qutwo, among others.
The architectural design is by Schauman & Nordgren Architects, which is known, for example, for the market pavilions at Turku Market Square. Architect Ted Schauman serves as the project’s principal designer.
The winning plan includes a bakery, a restaurant and separate sauna facilities
According to the competition jury, the overall concept involving several operators supports the viability of the site. As a whole, the plan was assessed as meeting the objectives of the competition well.
– The buildings and functions open successfully towards the riverside. The new brick building respects the old building to be renovated and has been beautifully adapted to its surroundings. The sauna functions placed in the new building are part of the overall concept, but the sauna facilities can also be used separately from the restaurant. Accessibility has also been well taken into account, says Suvi Panschin, who chaired the jury, summarising the jury’s views.
Alexander Törnroth’s aim is to create a place that operates from morning to evening and all year round – both as an everyday stopping point and as a destination.
– A bakery with a café will bring life to the area already early in the day. In summer, the focus will be on the terrace and the urban space along the riverside, but overall, the bakery, restaurant and sauna will serve as attractions all year round. We believe in the concept and are pleased that, through winning the competition, we can take it forward. The project has particular significance for urban culture, Törnroth says.
– The aim has been to cherish the historical significance and unique architectural heritage of Vaakahuone. The new building complements the whole with its own temporal layer, creating a carefully considered dialogue between old and new architecture, says architect Ted Schauman.
The City will prepare a detailed plan amendment proposal in accordance with the plans together with the winning party. The aim is to initiate the detailed plan process during 2026.
Once the plan has entered into force, the City will sell the Vaakahuone building to the winner of the competition. The sale price is 126,000 euros. The plot, which will remain in the City’s ownership, will be leased to the users for 40 years. The rent will consist of a fixed basic rent and will also be based on the amount and value of the new construction.
The Vaakahuone competition in the City Board minutes (8 June 2026) (in Finnish)
The winning proposal "The Hidden Garden" (in Finnish)