Paimio sanatorium master plan to be unveiled within weeks as UNESCO decision looms

Plans for the future of Paimio sanatorium, including potential hotel and conference operations, will be presented in the coming weeks, the foundation overseeing the Alvar and Aino Aalto-designed landmark announced Tuesday.

The timing follows Monday’s recommendation by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to inscribe the Aalto Works collection—of which Paimio is a cornerstone—on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A final decision by the World Heritage Committee is expected at its July 19–27 session.

Mirkku Kullberg, chair of the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, called the ICOMOS endorsement a reappraisal of the building’s global significance. “The value of Alvar and Aino Aalto’s Paimio sanatorium has been rewritten,” she told Yle. “This confirms its place among the most important examples of modernist architectural environments.”

Finland’s government has already allocated €10 million for the sanatorium’s maintenance, structural repairs, and workspace development, with part of the funding contingent on matching private investment. Kullberg said negotiations with potential backers are advanced, and the forthcoming master plan will enable formal discussions with hotel operators.

“Our goal is to introduce hotel and conference functions,” she said. “This would secure long-term upkeep and allow us to restore additional buildings.” Meetings with private investors are slated for autumn.

Designed as a holistic work of art down to its sinks, terraces, cabinets, and beds, the 1933 sanatorium has drawn daily visitors since its tuberculosis-era origins. The foundation’s upcoming plan aims to balance preservation with sustainable reuse.