Skip to main content

Modern Architecture Meets Finnish Mountain Cabin at Jávri Lodge

Arkkitehtitoimisto Teemu Pirinen

When most people imagine the ideal Finnish mountain getaway, clean lines, bright airy spaces, and beautifully minimalist spaces that connect them to nature are what come to mind. What people probably don’t expect is a traditional log cabin. But with Jávri Lodge, you get a stunning combination of both. The boutique hotel located in Saariselkä, Finland is a historic, rustic log cabin that received a thoroughly Finnish addition to create the ultimate mountain getaway.

Jávri Lodge isn’t just an incredible vacation retreat, it comes with a fascinating history as well. The original log cabin structures once belonged to former Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. The property served as his personal lodge where he enjoyed the beauty of the Lapland wilderness while hosting an impressive array of guests from royalty to world leaders. Now the hotel, located on the edge of a forest, is a picture-perfect spot for nature lovers to enjoy all that Finland’s northern region has to offer, including hiking, skiing, and catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights.  

In 2017, Jávri Lodge received a makeover, bringing the hotel into the 21st Century while maintaining some of the original historic features. Rather than tear down the log cabins, architectural firm Arkkitehtitoimisto Teemu Pirinen made additions to the structures, creating a space that combines Finnish minimalism with traditional rustic mountain style.

Recommended Videos

The main addition to the hotel are the copper-clad “Sky Suites” on the second floor of the main building. The exterior wall of the suites is made entirely of glass, allowing guests an unobstructed view of the Aurora Borealis right from the comfort of their beds. The rooms are simple and functional, a hallmark of Finnish design. Featuring light gray walls, black steel ceilings, and minimal furnishings, the rooms showcase window seats perfect for relaxing and taking in the views. With only four Sky Suites available, they offer some of the most exclusive views in all of Finland.

Along with the Sky Suites, the architects also enhanced the main entry and dining hall. A barrel-vaulted ceiling adds volume to the space yet maintains a sense of intimacy thanks to black-painted steel. A wall of windows lets diners enjoy views outside while letting natural light into the space. Outside, the new barrel vault was clad in copper, creating a dramatic contrast against the original wooden logs. The copper is untreated and over time will age to deep black, mimicking the black steel inside.

Throughout Jávri Lodge the strong connection to nature that is important in Finnish design was mintained. Slate flooring in the public areas emulates the dark Laplandic stones and blurs the line between inside and out. Most materials were left untreated to allow for natural aging over time (much like the roof). Windows were carefully placed to frame beautiful exterior views. And furnishings are simple and understated, allowing those beautiful exterior views to be the star of the show. It’s a careful blending of nature, history, and relaxing style that has us packing our backs to head to Finland.

To plan your stay at Javri Lodge, check out the hotel’s official website.

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
Jeremy Allen White was born to run in the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The movie follows Springsteen as he makes his album 'Nebraska.'
Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Music biopics are all the rage these days, and Bruce Springsteen is the latest icon to get the treatment. The first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere sees The Bear star inhabiting the role of The Boss. The film is based on Warren's Zane's book of the same name, which focuses on the period when he was making his 1982 album Nebraska.

The film is directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. In the trailer, we see White embodying Springsteen as he sings "Born to Run," and we also get a lengthy monologue from Jeremy Strong's Jon Landau as he explains why Springsteen feels the need to make this album.

Read more
Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?
TV's biggest heavyweights duke it out for the antihero crown
Breaking bad season 4 screen shot

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it's LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match.

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century. These men were the perfect mix of good and evil. They navigated family life and the criminal underworld with cunning intelligence and ruthless risk-taking. Every show with morally gray characters at the center owes its storyboard to Walter and Tony, but which character deserves the antihero crown? This is Tony Soprano vs. Walter White for all the marbles.
Who was the more complex character?

Read more
Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners
Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe
Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).

Read more