Design Wood Home builds timber observation tower on Kola Bay

The Kola Bay Lighthouse, a timber observation pavilion designed by Design Wood Home, has opened on a hillside overlooking Kola Bay in Murmansk, Russia. Commissioned by the Murmansk Regional Government under the Living in the North program, the structure reinterprets the industrial silhouette of port cranes and lighthouses into a civic-scale timber landmark. The pavilion uses an intricate wooden joinery system to minimize metal fasteners, withstanding the harsh Arctic climate. It features two levels: a lower terrace with seating and a pet shelter, and an upper deck offering panoramic bay views. Landscape design by the architectural team concentrates visitor movement to protect fragile Arctic mosses. The project aims to strengthen the connection between the residential neighborhood and the waterfront. Lead architect Evgeny Makarenko led the team, with timber structural engineer Oleg Lelyuk and concrete structural engineer Pavel Zhadinsky. Photographs by Alexey Arushanyan, Alexey Malenchik, and Tatiana Okuneva document the pavilion.