red timber pyramid beacon by ulf mejergren glows through fish cutouts on baltic sea island

Ulf Mejergren crafts wooden landmark for Bergö island

Creative studio Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) designs a landmark for the small island of Bergö, located off the coast of Vaasa in Finland’s northern Kvarken archipelago. In this region, where most residents speak Swedish as their first language, the islands form a geographical and cultural gradient between Finland and Sweden. The brief called for an artistic structure visible from a distance while also functioning as a local meeting place. The installation stands by a bathing beach adjacent to an old fishing settlement, a summer gathering spot for both residents and visitors. Positioned between land and sea, the site naturally accommodates social interaction and community activity.

The design draws inspiration from traditional wooden sea beacons once common along the Baltic coast, utilitarian structures reduced to essential forms, often painted in red or white. Echoing this heritage, Mejergren developed a timber pyramid-shaped structure with surfaces perforated by fish-shaped patterns in multiple sizes. These motifs reference the surrounding marine landscape and follow an internal visual rhythm: larger fish cutouts open their mouths when placed behind smaller ones, while smaller fish remain closed when positioned behind larger ones. The same pattern logic extends to the doorframe and detailing, integrating the motif throughout the design.

all images courtesy of Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)

perforated wooden Bergö Beacon glows from within

For the construction, the design team at Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) relied on the island’s talko tradition, a collective volunteer system through which residents regularly maintain shared infrastructure such as schools or public paths. Engaging the talko was both a practical and conceptual decision, ensuring local participation and embedding the project within the community from its inception. At night, light filters through the fish-shaped openings, turning the pavilion into a glowing wooden beacon. The projected patterns on the ground form an illuminated school of fish that visually merges with the adjacent sea. The structure serves less as a navigational lighthouse and more as a social landmark, a space for gathering, orientation, and continuity within the island’s cultural landscape. Future additions, including seating and a chandelier that reflects light within the interior, aim to extend the project’s role as a living artwork, evolving over time through continued community involvement.

Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) designs a wooden landmark for the island of Bergö in Finland’s Kvarken archipelago

the project occupies a site between land and sea, beside a small bathing beach and fishing settlement

the pyramid-shaped pavilion reduces its form to a simple geometric volume

fish-shaped perforations cover the timber surfaces, referencing the surrounding marine environment

each opening follows an internal rhythm of scale and direction, creating a visual pattern across the facade

larger fish cutouts open their mouths when placed behind smaller ones, while smaller fish remain closed

the illuminated fish shapes form a shimmering pattern that blends with reflections on the sea

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diagram of the Bergö Beacon

diagram of different beacons that can be found around the Baltic Sea

project info:

name: Bergö Beacon
architects: Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) | @ulfmejergrenarchitects

carpenters: Jens Söderholm, Magnus Molander

engineer: Ben Toumela

with gratitude to: Malakta – especially Magdalena Lindroos and Ann-Maj Granstubb, Bergö Öråd – especially Britt-Mari Söderholm, and everyone who contributed with help and ideas, Municipality of Malax – especially Sofia Lillgäls

location: Bergö, Vaasa, Finland

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom