Visit Tampere, Ekokumppanit and KVVY
Creating a vision for visitor experience and an attractive brand concept for a new world-class visitor center
In Finland there are thousands of lakes, but no center to showcase and unite them. Pentagon Design participated in creating the concept for the Lake Nature Center of Finland, that is being planned to be built in the developing Särkänniemi area of the city of Tampere, by the lake of Näsijärvi. By means of co-creation, the brand concept for the Lake Nature Center was created, which included defining the pursued visitor experience and the initial service entity of the center, as well as the visual identity for the project phase. As the result of the project, we delivered a concept presentation that serves as a tool for communicating the concept, engaging stakeholders and co-operative partners, as well as for the purposes of negotiating funding for the project. Furthermore, the concept defines a shared vision and sets an ambitious standard that guides the further planning of the architecture, spaces, services and contents of the center.
Approach
The City of Tampere approached Pentagon Design with a request to help them with crystallizing the concept for the future Lake Nature Center of Finland. The development of a center that would showcase the lakes of Finland and unite local nature travel agencies and other relevant actors had been in the planning already for several years by a number of stakeholders, with an architecture competition organized in 2017. However, the remaining challenge to tackle was that the project was lacking a clear vision of the main objectives and the desired visitor experience, as well as a concept to aid a coherent execution of the center. By creating a concept that brings together the different perspectives of various stakeholders and crystallizes the brand and the desired visitor experience, the Lake Nature Center could be presented in a convincing and attractive manner to the partners, investors and general public. Furthermore, through the concept an ambitious standard is set to guide the further planning and implementation of the center.
Pentagon Design was responsible for creating the brand concept and vision for the desired visitor experience, defining the main goals, planning and facilitating several participatory workshops and analyzing the results, as well as preparing an attractive and convincing visual identity, brand story and concept presentation to showcase the project. The work was completed in tight collaboration with the client and key stakeholders. In the project, we helped crystallize the work that had been successfully conducted over years through multidisciplinary collaboration and interpret the outcomes from the perspective of the brand. A benchmarking study analysis and stakeholder interviews conducted by Ekokumppanit were utilized in the project as the basis for the concept creation.
Result
As the deliverables of the project, the brand concept and vision for the visitor experience were created and the main goals for the center were defined. An essential part of the concept was to define the range and examples of provided services, ideate spatial and digital means to concretize the desired experience, as well as to identify the main target groups and key messages to reach them based on the concept vision. A visual identity and a convincing concept presentation were created to support the marketing and communication of the project to various stakeholders and target groups. Additionally, a list of suggested measures and principles for future development of the center were identified, based on the insights gained over the course of the project.
The Lake Nature Center of Finland is a top year-round destination for sustainable travel that provides a holistic experience for its visitors. It is an accessible place to relax and enjoy the silence by the nature, and a gateway to experiencing the nature of Finland firsthand. The center serves as a home for the lakes of Finland, assembling the knowledge and research regarding Finnish lakes and the nature surrounding them, and showcasing it to different visitor groups in a memorable and interesting manner. The Lake Nature Center of Finland unites the nature travel actors and agencies both locally and across the country, connecting them to both the domestic and international visitors who wish to experience the Finnish nature firsthand. The center enhances the wellbeing of nature and supports sustainable environmental education for people of all ages.
The Lake Nature Center of Finland is a top year-round destination for sustainable travel, and a gateway to Finnish lakes and the nature surrounding them. It is an accessible place to relax and enjoy the silence by the nature. Moreover, it enhances the wellbeing of nature, and supports sustainable environmental education.
