The Light of the North ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ by Meng Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ, ᱤᱢᱟᱨᱚᱛ ᱟᱨ ᱜᱟᱲᱚᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.
ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ· 2026
The Light of the North ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ
by Meng Zhao
A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #173260The Design
About The Light of the North ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ
ᱫᱟ ᱞᱟᱭᱤᱴ ᱚᱯᱷ ᱫᱟ ᱱᱚᱨᱛᱷ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱤᱱᱞᱮᱸᱰ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱟᱭᱱᱟᱛᱥᱟᱞᱚ ᱨᱮ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱛᱟᱞᱟ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱒᱐᱐᱐ ᱵᱚᱨᱜᱚ ᱢᱤᱴᱚᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱱᱚᱰᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱠᱚᱱᱥᱚᱨᱴ ᱦᱚᱞ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱩᱨ ᱨᱮ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱴᱟᱩᱱ ᱦᱚᱞ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱠᱚ ᱥᱮᱞᱮᱫ ᱟᱠᱟᱫᱟ᱾ ᱵᱚᱞᱚᱱ ᱫᱩᱣᱟᱹᱨ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱨᱮ ᱴᱩᱠᱟᱹᱜ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱤᱴᱟᱹ ᱠᱟᱸᱛᱷ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱸᱪ ᱠᱟᱸᱛᱷ ᱢᱮᱥᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱤᱴᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱭᱢᱟ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱱᱟᱠᱥᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱠᱩᱸᱰᱩᱞ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱛᱷ ᱯᱮᱱᱮᱞ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱟᱸᱛᱷ ᱟᱨ ᱪᱟᱫᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱥᱮᱞᱮᱫᱟ, ᱥᱟᱦᱟᱭᱟᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱟᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱠᱚ ᱯᱟᱥᱱᱟᱣᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱚᱱᱥᱚᱨᱴ ᱦᱚᱞ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱟᱲᱟᱝ ᱥᱟᱫᱮ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱱᱟᱯᱟᱭ ᱟᱠᱟᱫᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱤᱫᱽᱨᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ, ᱦᱟᱲᱟᱢ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱟᱨ ᱡᱩᱣᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤᱭᱟ᱾
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ
The Light of the North ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱣᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ The Light of the North ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ ᱠᱮᱸᱫᱽᱨᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The musical art center is a symbol of cultural revitalization. By paying homage to and integrating the design language of town hall-an iconic symbol of Finnish spirit-with modern functional needs, it respects tradition while injecting new social elements, promoting cultural revival and community development. The project draws inspiration from Finnish nature, using wood and red bricks to promote sustainability and create a warm, immersive space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Gross floor area: 2000 square meters, Project type: Musical Center & Concert Hall
- Tags
- art building, musical center, concert hall, musical art center, culture, landmark
- Production Technology
- The entrance facade combines perforated brick walls with glass curtain wall, while the bricks are arranged in varied rhythmic patterns to add visual depth and texture. Using of curved wooden panels to seamlessly blend the walls and ceiling, it contributes to a soft diffusion of natural light throughout the space that interacts with nature and maximizes environmental benefits. All-wood interior of the concert hall features a wooden panel forming a streamlined enclosure to optimize acoustics.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge of the project is to integrate with the surrounding environment. For example, how to communicate and connect with the existing town hall servicing as a whole. The design needs to deeply consider the geometry, the appearance, the continuity of streamlines, the functional requirements of the township, and the application of local materials.
- Research
- Investigate and analyze the resident population size, age distribution, and proportional composition of Saynatsalo and the nearby major city, Jyvaskyla. Survey the functional zoning and spatial distribution of different areas. The findings reveal that 69.8% of the urban population aged 15-64 severely lacks open, public, nature-adjacent, and music-related activity spaces. Saynatsalo is ideally positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for music spaces from the surrounding population.
- Inspiration
- This project responds to rural population decline and aging in a groundbreaking way. Located in Saynatsalo, it serves children, elderly people, and underprivileged young people, revitalizing the town's culture and social life. From Finnish nature, the concert hall is supplemented with the old town hall, creating an outstanding cultural space that attracts music lovers. The project creates a quality music environment with opportunities for exchange, stimulating the regional economy.
- Project Duration
- The project designed in 2024, Saynatsalo, Finland.
- Operation Flow
- The musical art center's space and circulation design optimizes functionality and aesthetics through a unification of fluid flow, judicious zoning, and balance to pay respect to Finnish cultural characteristics and modern requirements.
- Image Credits
- Image #1-5, Meng Zhao, 2024.
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