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The competition was held by the city of Liminka in collaboration with the University of Oulu, architectural department. I won the competition with my entry “Juuret”, or ‘roots’ in English. The work is based on a structural presentation of an old sturdy tree. The form of the tree is easily recognizable and the lace-like structure gives it unique identity as an environmental art piece. It is a representation of the forward going attitude of the city of Liminka that still has not forgotten its past – its “roots”.

The structure system is based on an L-system script made for the Ligna-pavillion and it uses same connection details. It consists of individual wooden beams that are joined together with wooden peg joints reinforced with steel bars. The structure is generated on top of a base surface that gives the structure its form. All the information needed for manufacturing and milling purposes are enclosed within the digital three-dimensional computer model, which can be digitally transferred to production.

The structure will be manufactured out of timber, utilizing state-of-the-art CNC-milling. The wood is then charcoaled for better durability against harsh weather conditions, which closes the cells rendering the surface tight and waterproof.

Lighting

The art piece will be lit from inside, so that the inner trunk is bathing with light. It will create a dramatic three-dimensional effect. The small water pool at the base of the tree will also be lit, but near by the surface so that it gives a glowing, almost magical effect to the pool. With the help of the lighting, the art work will effectively rise as the focal point of the main road and as a centerpiece of the city, even in the darkest times of the year.

Mangrove Tower in the Baltic Sea is a competition entry for the eVolo 2009 skyscraper competition. Entry was published on the eVolo website and on the eVolo publication.

The Sea at Risk
The Baltic Sea is the second largest brackish water basin in the world in terms of water volume. The water of the Baltic Sea is a mixture of ocean water and fresh water brought by numerous rivers. The unique brackish-water ecosystem is very sensitive to disturbances. About 85 million people live in the Baltic Sea catchment area, placing severe pressure in the ecosystem.
The Mangrove Tower is a temporary structure designed to prevent eutrophication in the sensitive archipelagos of the Baltic Sea. The actual process of reducing pollutants is simple, but needs a large scale self-sufficient system that can be relocated after the site has been cleaned.

Eutrophication
Eutrophication is a major problem in the Baltic Sea since the 1800’s when the Sea changed from an oliogotrophic clear-water sea into a eutrophic marine environment. It is a consequence of nutrient loading caused by human activity. Due to the large amounts of nutrients, microscopic phytoplankton has drastically increased and algae blooms have become prevalent. Increased primary production of the Sea increases the amount of organic matter in the sediment and leads to self feeding internal nutrient loading cycle. Organic matter that settles at the bottom of the sea begins to decompose. Decomposition consumes limited oxygen resources of the bottom water layers and turns it into an anoxic system.

Mangrove Tower
The Mangrove Tower consists of a bundle of “mangrove branches”. Each branch being an independent unit; where the upper part contains wind turbines for generating power necessary for the water pumps located at the bottom. The Mangrove Tower is a water oxygenator that pumps surface water full of oxygen to the lower layers of the sea. The towers are placed in sheltered pools on the coast. Its morphogenetic structure allows the addition or removal of several braches without loss of structural stability.