Oulu

Nordic Urban is developing a partly floating well-being hub on Kiikeli island, a stone’s throw away from Oulu’s Market Square. The project was introduced in June 2018 when Nordic Urban (then Töölö Urban) won a competition organized by the city of Oulu for adding urban amenities and leisurely activity on its city center waterfront. Today, our Oulu hub is well underway to begin serving residents. The project holds a building permit and will be realized soon.

Our Oulu hub will be the world’s northernmost floating bathing facility and provide Oulu’s first widely accessible open-air swimming pool. The project’s well-being offering includes all-year-round outdoor swimming in heated (27 C) and natural water, saunas, a restaurant, event spaces, as well as wellness and cultural programming. Our goal is to heat the facility in an environmentally friendly way using water heat pumps. 

The hub will not only help meet the increased demand for swimming and other well-being services, but also contribute to making Oulu a more livable and attractive city. The hub serves as a platform for the local cultural scene and adds an interesting destination into domestic and international visitor itineraries. The wooden architecture and possibilities for people to linger on our terraces overlooking the water and city make the hub an exotic northern experience and meeting place.