Feel the power of the forest!
Listen to the sound of the wind dancing through the undergrowth, sink your bare feet into the moss, inhale the aroma of the first spring buds...
Nature is one of the best escape routes when we want to relax, unwind and forget the fast-paced life of the big city.
And what is one of the most stressful places out there? The airport, but not the one of Helsinki , because from now on it has a most relaxing forest experience at the Metsä/Skogen concept store.
Metsä and Skogen are the Finnish and Swedish words for the term 'forest'
A FOREST SWIM AT THE AIRPORT!
Many are the studies that have been carried out on forest therapy, or Shinrin-Yoku, an exercise of contemplation in which the five senses intervene and whose objective is none other than find health and happiness through the trees.
In fact, Shinrin-Yoku gains more and more followers every day all over the world, and Finnish forests are a good setting to put it into practice.
But if your episode of stress catches you far from the forest, specifically at the Helsinki airport, you're in luck, because in the middle of that coming and going of rushing and racing there is an oasis of peace where you can take refuge from the chaos: Metsä/Skogen.
The cosmetics are made with ingredients from the Finnish forest
GOODBYE STRESS
“Metsä/Skogen seeks to teach people how to live their lives without stress. In collaboration with professionals in design, emissions compensation and healthcare, we are building a concept in which the well-being of people and nature is at the heart of everything”, explains Carita Peltonen, CEO of Metsä/Skogen.
“The idea of offering sounds, aromas and flavors of nature is to create the most authentic Finnish forestry experience possible, that helps people calm down in the middle of a hectic day and offers a unique vision of the nature of the country", adds Peltonen.
In the concept store that Metsä/Skogen will open next May at Helsinki Airport we will find all kinds of products and services based on the refreshing and calming energy of the Finnish forest and whose design is sustainable and eco-friendly.
And continuing with the slow philosophy, they also offer experiences such as take a virtual walk through the forest and you can even become a forest protector: from a 'forest menu' created together with the Helsinki Foundation you choose the piece of Lapland forest you want to protect.
The Metsä/Skogen store in the center of Helsinki, which opened last November
METSÄ / SKOGEN: THE POWER OF THE FOREST
Metsä (Finnish) and skog (Swedish) mean 'forest' and form the name of the concept store founded by Peltone Face , which she fervently affirms that Forests have healing powers.
Since for most people, the royal forest was not easily accessible, she decided create one that was available to everyone: in the middle of the city. Thus was born the first Metsä/Skogen location in Helsinki, which opened its doors in November 2019.
All products offered by Metsä/Skogen – clothing, household items, accessories, cosmetics, etc. – are made in or near Finland (EU) by designers, artisans and companies that share the same values: love and respect for nature.
"The store at the airport will focus on products that can be useful for traveling and make the flight more enjoyable. For example, it will have a wide range of natural cosmetics from the Finnish forest, made with ingredients such as lichens, blueberries and birch", they explain from Metsä/Skogen, which also has his own fragrance, created exclusively by the firm Hetkinen.
The concept store will have a relaxation area for stressed travelers
In the gastronomic section, we will find products of the famous Finnish chef Sami Tallberg , famous for its wild cuisine and the use of superfoods such as berries, mushrooms and wild Finnish herbs, with many health benefits," they continue to explain.
"Another important part of the selection is sustainable design objects created by Finnish designers", they add from Metsä/Skogen. In fact, in his shop in the city center we find articles by the carpenter Antrei Hartikainen, who has also collaborated with the ceramic artist Jutta Ylä-Mononen –whose clay bracelets you can also buy in the store– to design a series of wooden and ceramic objects.
"Usually, sustainability, transparency and respect for the environment they are the key elements of the selection", they add from Metsä/Skogen.
Metsa/Skogen
We can also find Kutomo Holopainen signature pieces , including all kinds of knitwear, hats and scarves specially designed for Metsä/Skogen. In addition, the products made in the Finnish city of Tuusula They are made from a merino wool and mohair blend and reproduce forest tones.
In the home section, we find the textiles of Jokipiin Pellava , also exclusively designed for the concept store, ranging from cushions and towels to tablecloths and aprons. The store's furniture bears the hallmark of Protos demos , which has also created a selection of kitchen utensils.
A dose of superfoods from chef Sam Tallberg
"The airport concept store will have a relaxation area and a forest 'altar' that will consist of a screen where the most beautiful landscapes of the Finnish forests and lakes will be projected", they tell us from Metsä/Skogen. They will also organize a virtual reality pop up experience in the non-Schengen area of the airport next summer.
The visual concept of the store has been designed and implemented by Kaheli design , which has taken as inspiration the forms and organic elements of the forest: "we have moss, trees and we even have a very special musical cast that allows us to listen to the sounds of the forest in the store", they tell us.
Nor do they forget the sense of smell: "We have a Finnish forest scent that makes walking into the store feel almost like a real forest," they conclude.
The shop in the center of Helsinki, at Mannerheimintie 2
THE AIRPORT AS AN EXPERIENCE
The Helsinki Airport Development Program going from strength to strength: the construction of a new building continues its course at the same time that they are devising new service concepts for passengers.
Finnish airport operator Finavia's goal is to make Helsinki airport one of the best in the world in terms of customer experience. A) Yes, Finavia and Metsä/Skogen aim to promote the Finnish wellness experience and sustainable philosophy.
“Metsä/Skogen represents exactly the kind of new Finnish sustainable experience that we want to offer our passengers. The unique lifestyle concept expands the range of services available at Helsinki Airport and supports Finavia's goal of renewing and creating bold solutions to enhance the airport customer experience and the Finnish brand,” says Nora Immonen, Director of Commercial Services for Finavia at Helsinki Airport.
Regarding the opening of Metsä / Skogen, she states that they are happy that “they have decided to open their second space at Helsinki airport, a hub between Asia and Europe."
Dear nature-loving travelers, We have a new excuse to travel (or stop over) in Helsinki!
An oasis of peace in the middle of the airport