Urban Wood Architourism in Helsinki : phenomenological research of bodily experiences and authenticity

Abstract

The idea for this master’s thesis came from my current work at ARCO Architecture Company. Different aspects of tourism and architecture were my inspiration for this tourism research, where I study the phenomenon of Architourism through authenticity and bodily experiences.

The concept of Architourism has not been thoroughly studied in Finland from the perspective of tourism. Instead, researchers from the Department of Architecture have studied the history of Finnish tourism architecture. Professional planning has a key effect on the creation of a long-lasting tourist destination. In the history of tourism, attractions have been a key reason for choosing a travel destination. Architourism is a way to experience the traditions and history of the region. Löyly Helsinki was chosen to be the research location. It is locally and internationally known tourism attraction in Helsinki as well as a known wooden architecture site.

The empirical material of my research consists of my own observations, my observations of the visitors and five semi-structured interviews. The starting point was to detect the meanings of the individual’s bodily experiences and to find relation of meaning from the perspective of existential and performative authenticity. In the analysis phase, I used the thematic analysis method.

The results of the study showed that visitors' bodily experiences of wooden buildings influence to the experience of authenticity. Architectural tourism was a less familiar topic, and discussion about architecture was not considered natural. The experience of Löyly Helsinki through embodied performances is influenced by the visitor's own awareness, senses, body heat production and cultural capital. In addition to these, the weather and activities affect the visitor's sense of authenticity. Commerciality and the amount of money allocated for planning can affect the design of the facilities. The narrowness of the premises and embodied performances were felt to affect the sense of authenticity. Based on the research, it can be concluded that focusing on architourism could help cities to build authentic, sustainable, and meaningful experiences.