The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino by Meng Zhao

The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino by Meng Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Meaho, Dikaho le Dibopego Competition Category.

BoronseMeaho· 2026

The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino

by Meng Zhao

Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award Winner in Meaho Category

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Colors

The Design

About The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino

Light of the North ke setsi sa bonono ba 'mino se Saynatsalo, Finland. Moaho ona o na le sebaka sa fatše se kakaretso sa limithara tse lekanang tse 2000 'me o kenyelletsa holo ea likonsarete. Moralo ona o latela puo ea moaho oa holo ea toropo e haufi 'me o eketsa mesebetsi ea sejoale-joale bakeng sa sechaba sa lehae. Sefahleho sa monyako se kopanya marako a litene tse phunyeletsoeng le lerako la khalase, 'me litene li behiloe ka mekhoa e fapaneng. Liphanele tsa lehong tse kobehileng li kopanya marako le masiba a kahare, li hasanya leseli la tlhaho butle 'me li ntlafatsa molumo oa holo ea likonsarete. Setsi sena se sebeletsa bana, batho ba baholo le baahi ba bacha.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award

The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang haholo e fuoang meralo e ikhethang e tsejoang ka boqapi, bohlale ba ho qapa le bohlale. Bahapi ba Boronse ke lintho tse nang le bokhoni ka ho felletseng le boqapi bo hlollang tse tiisang boiphihlelo bo bongata, mohopolo le bokhoni ba ho iphumana ba baqapi ba tsona. The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e nang le boprofeshenale bo bonahalang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa bonong, mahlaleng, moralong le theknolojing mme o hlahella ka ho tsepamisa maikutlo lintlheng tse nyenyane. The Light of the North Setsi sa Bonono ba 'Mino e kutloisisa litlhoko hantle, e ama litakatso, e hapa maikutlo mme e tsosa takatso ea ho tseba.

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.