The Mill

People have paddled since time immemorial although the gear today gear is much different from what it was in ancient times. Soon we will also see a new type of rest and overnight shelter specifically for canoeists that will take advantage of the water as a power source yet retain a pristine and timeless peacefulness. Finnish architect and artist Sami Rintala, together with architecture student Janne Saario, has created The Mill, a modern wilderness hut that will be located in the Halikko river in south western Finland, near the town of Salo, mid-way between Helsinki and Turku. The wooden shelter even includes fireplaces and sleeping platforms and the waterwheel in the middle of the stream produces the energy for use in the shelter. To be completed in the fall of 2008, The Mill is part of Halikonlahti Green Art Trilogy, which in turn is part of an ongoing multi-year "Cross-artistic and Scientific Environmental Event" The 39-year-old Rintala has created experimental and environmentally sustainable installations and experimental buildings all over the world, form the Scandinavian countries to Cuba, Canada, Japan and Korea