A Tuberculosis Center Designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto is set to Become a Hotel

Summary

• Oslo firm Snøhetta has unveiled plans to convert the Paimio Sanatorium — a 1933 Finnish modernist landmark by Alvar and Aino Aalto — into a hotel, wellness space, and cultural centre.
• Key additions include a forest-facing spa, a new auditorium, and guest rooms converted from the original patient wards, with the iconic open balconies set to be reinstated.
• Snøhetta’s approach balances conservation with sensitive adaptation, requiring minimal structural intervention thanks to the building’s original design emphasis on light, air, and nature.

A building that Finnish architects Alvar and Aino Aalto designed as a tuberculosis sanatorium is set to be transformed into a hotel, wellness space, and cultural centre.

The Paimio Sanatorium, completed in 1933, will be given a new life by Oslo architectural practice Snøhetta, which revealed its plans today.

Within them, they detail a design that emphasises the Aaltos’ original scheme, while also making the site more visitor-friendly. Specific changes include the introduction of a lower-level spa that opens directly onto the surrounding forest, a new auditorium and entrance, and the conversion of patient rooms into hotel rooms.

“With profound respect for the legacy of Aino and Alvar Aalto – and particularly the Paimio Sanatorium – we approach this project with the ambition of opening the site for thoughtful future use,” said Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta. “Grounded in research, each intervention is carefully considered, preserving the building’s integrity while allowing it to evolve.”

The Aaltos’ Paimio Sanatorium is now considered an international symbol of modern architecture, but importantly, it was designed as a place of healing. At the time, there wasn’t a cure for tuberculosis, and each detail of the building ensured patients were bathed in light and air, with access to their natural surroundings.

Because they designed the space with that in mind, its conversion into a wellness space and hotel requires less intervention than you may think. Instead, new details in the bedrooms particularly come in the form of private bathrooms, new surface materials, and freestanding furniture.

From the corridors outside the rooms, guests will have access to the iconic, elongated open balconies, which are proposed to be reinstated.

“The Snøhetta team has succeeded in creating a thoughtful balance between conservation and restorative architecture, while at the same time opening space for new ideas and future-oriented thinking that respectfully honours the architectural legacy of Aino and Alvar Aalto,” said Mirkku Kullberg, Chair of the Board, Paimio Sanatorium Foundation.