The Sámi Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Centre Siida in Inari was renovated and expanded in 2020–2022
The Siida building, which opened to the public in 1998, was renovated to reflect the increased functions and visitor numbers. At the forefront of the project were the construction of appropriate collection facilities for the Sámi Museum and the upgrade of the museum and nature centre facilities to meet modern requirements, both technically and functionally.
The lobby of the newly constructed part of the museum was designed as a spacious whole in which the renewed museum shop was also allocated a larger space. All exhibition rooms were placed on the first floor of the museum, and the main exhibition, which had been preserved in its original form, was renewed according to Harri Koskinen’s plans.
The museum’s workspaces were also modernised, to comply with Senate Properties’ new guidelines. The new extensions, the collection warehouse, and the restaurant were designed to add on to the existing building mass.
The most challenging aspect of the project was to expand the building in a way that would retain the existing museum’s dominant status. As a solution, the new collection warehouse building was partially embedded in the ground, so that the actual size of the building would not distract from the museum element. With this solution, the original museum building is still clearly discernible in the new complex. Elements of the existing museum’s facade materials and design were brought into the new extensions to achieve a coherent overall identity.
