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Real Estate Annual Finland

Publisher Kick-Start My Heart PubliCo Oy Pälkäneentie 19 A Start-ups are the big buzz in Finland right now. As traditional in- FI-00510 Helsinki dustries are struggling, the attention turns to quick-and-nimble Finland hi-tech newcomers with plans for global domination. The fall Phone +358 9 686 6250 of Nokia and the rise of Rovio, the makers of Angry Birds, has Fax +358 9 685 2940 [email protected] given many people pause. Looks content – taken in a broad www.publico.com context – is king once more. Editor-in-Chief In this issue of NORDICUM, we hear the views of Sili- Jussi Sinkko con Valley start-up guru Steve Blank who knows a thing or two about building successful businesses dedicated to fierce growth. Editorial Coordinator Mirkka Lindroos During his “active duty,” out of the eight companies he launched, four went public – and two were tremendous moneymakers. On Project Manager the other hand, two enterprises turned out to be “craters”, in Paul Charpentier Blank-speak, meaning that they went out of business in spec- tacular fashion. Contributors Merja Kihl Ari Mononen The odds-game for start-up survival tells us that only one Sami J. Anteroinen start-up out of ten has a chance of making it. Blank, on the oth- er hand, retired with a batting average of .75 which means that Language Editor he is really the master at bucking the odds. Dialog Designs

In this issue, we also take a look at the cities who are keen Graphic Design Riitta Yli-Öyrä on helping fledgling companies along on their journey. More and more, communities in Finland understand the significance Ad Sales of growth businesses and want to make sure that the start-ups Finland get a fighting chance. Mr. Paul Charpentier Phone +358 9 6866 2533 Of course, the mythology comes into play here: accord- Fax +358 9 685 2940 Mr. Risto Valkeapää ing to the Silicon Valley lore, all you need is a vacant garage Phone +358 9 6866 2532 and a great idea to strike gold. It is true that with the new, mo- Fax +358 9 685 2940 bile ways of working, not all companies need towers made of Sweden glass and steel to appear respectable. At the same time, trying to Mr. Johan Lindberg woo venture capitalists in a garage might be a bit of a challenge. Phone +358 9 6866 2541 Fax +358 9 685 2940 Germany As a consequence, what the new start-ups need – and what Mr. Lutz Ehrhardt smart cities are trying to provide for them – is access to versatile Phone +49 40 367 311 networks and modern, multi-use premises. Bringing like-minded Fax +49 40 365 993 people together will get you results – and getting different-mind- ed people in a room will sometimes yield even bigger results. Subscriptions Phone +358 9 686 6250 Fax +358 9 685 2940 At the core of any booming business today, of course, we E-mail: [email protected] find innovation. The word itself, however, has worn thin from excessive use: it is hard to find a company that doesn’t swear Cover Photo by it. In fact, also all countries bank on the power of innovation. Eric Millette Professor Alf Rehn has remarked that even North Korea believes in success via innovation – which makes you wonder, if the term Printed by PunaMusta, February 2013 hasn’t lost all its flavour by now. Photographic and advertising material is sent at the The key word in Steve Blank’s start-up philosophy isn’t owner’s risk. NORDICUM accepts no liability for loss or damage. NORDICUM is a bimonthly magazine innovation. It’s passion. on Nordic business. NORDICUM promotes Baltic Sea area cooperation and free markets. NORDICUM Jussi Sinkko is not affiliated with any political party or financial Editor-in-Chief institution. ISSN 1236-3839 www.nordicum.com

PubliCo Oy is a member of The Finnish Periodical Publisher’s Association 2 Nordicum GROUP

Selection of recent references

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sold sold a CBD office property in its property Seinäjoki to management business to

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BUSINESS RESIDENTIAL SERVICES Advium Corporate Finance is the leading advisor in major real estate transactions in Finland. BUSINESS LEVEL APARTMENT HOTEL IN CENTRE OF HELSINKI For more information: +358 9 6817 8900 FROM 51 EUROS/NIGHT www.advium.fi Photo: Studio Daniel Libeskind for NCC Photo: Turku Science Park Ltd

Tampere is preparing to kick-start significant projects to energise Turku puts a new spin on science parks, creating a true innova- the city, with a real piece of WOW! architecture being planned right tion campus which bridges academic with corporate – and rec- next to the train station. This dynamic supercentre, designed by reational with residential. The City is also keen on exploring the Daniel Libeskind, is but one of the things in the pipeline for Tam- living trends of the future with some of the best experts in the pere. Pages 42–43. world. Pages 44–46.

02 Editorial

06 The Agenda by Olavi Louko – All Aboard!

08 The Helsinki Spring

09 The Customer Development Manifesto by Steve Blank

12 High Hopes

15 Core Concerns

18 High Times

20 Fantastic Four

21 Total Make-Over

26 Break on Through to the Other Side

29 Metro: The Making Of

32 The Power of Three

35 Suurpelto Gets Going

36 Big Apple Goes Mega

38 New era for Centre

39 Best of the Joensuu region – Penttilänranta

4 Nordicum Logistics centres are turning into flexible multimodal hubs, and Lahti has made a name for itself as the champion of both design developing into full-blown clusters of their own right. New areas, and cleantech, and continues to attract people and businesses such as Nurmijärvi’s Ilvesvuori, attract companies through great in record-numbers. Still, the best may yet to come, as the rede- connectivity. Pages 52–53. velopment of key areas in the vicinity of the train station kicks off in earnest. Pages 56–58.

40 Reinventing Tikkurila

42 Reach for the Sky

44 Innovations: The Great Fire of Turku in 2013

47 Tap into Travel

48 Versatility in Trying Times

50 Rebound City

52 Get Connected

53 Ilvesvuori: Great Location, Fast Service

54 Cure for the Common Office

56 Perfect Match

58 Designing Success

58 Lab Power

59 Listening to the Client Takes Center Stage

60 Opportunities for the Brave?

62 Company Business Cards

Nordicum 5 THE AGENDA

All Aboard!

By Olavi Louko The writer is Deputy Mayor of the City of Espoo

Photo: City of Espoo / Markku Ojala, Compic design and business in a new way. The cam- pus area and the surrounding area is developing strongly with eye on R&D, in- novation and entrepreneurship. Next to Aalto and Otaniemi, there is Tapiola, the 60-year-old Garden City. There is new development here that honours the true Tapiola spirit: on top of the metro sta- tion there will be a commercial/service cen- tre and a range of high-level apartments with seaside view. A new theatre and museums are also being planned, and sports facilities, too – among them a football stadium. Moving west, area will be totally transformed with the advent of the metro station, with business and residential construction. In Matinkylä – which is the end of the line – the metro station will link with the expansion of the shop- ping centre, and residential development is in the cards here – with a swimming hall / spa in the making, too. During the years 2014–2018, the met- Espoo is recognised as a prosperous, dynamic city with world-class ICT ro will push even further on to the west- muscle. Celebrating her 555th birthday this year, Espoo is also home to ern border of Espoo. The Finnoo area will be a home for 15,000 new residents, offer- ”innovation university” Aalto. The coming metro connection will take ing jobs as well. Finnoo will be reinvented Espoo to the next level. as Marina City, a modern, urban area root- ed in sustainable development. In Finnoo, spoo is the second biggest city in Fin- opportunities to solidify the urban structure. you’ll find significant natural assets and a E land, with 255,000 inhabitants. It is the The metro is the real game-changer here: as sizeable harbour for small boats. There will western neighbour of Helsinki and an there will be 14 more kilometres of metro- be high-rise construction here, too, allowing integral part of the Metro- line stretching from Helsinki to Espoo, six for seaside view. politan Region which is formed by 14 mu- new metro stations will be launched in Es- In addition to Finnoo, also the commu- nicipalities. The distance to downtown Hel- poo. nities of the other four new stations will un- sinki is about 10-20 kilometres, and the Hel- The metro will start operations at the dergo intense development. sinki International Airport is 25 kilometres end of 2015 and it is likely that it will be ex- Not far away from the metroline, there away. tended by another 10 kilometres – and five is another nature-loving community. Suur- Espoo is a community by the sea, with stations – by 2018. pelto has been under construction for a few 50 kilometres of shoreline and over 100 is- Metro will increase the land value and years, with more development to follow. lands. In addition, Espoo has plenty of great attract a lot of commercial, office and res- The target is set at over 10,000 residents lakes and untamed nature; for example, in idential construction. During the next ten and thousands of jobs. the north, you’ll find a spectacular nation- years, one can expect to see investments to Life along the railway tracks is look- al park. the tune of almost 10 billion euros along the ing good, too. Only a ten minute train ride With regards to urban structure, we metroline. This will have a positive impact from downtown Helsinki, Leppävaara al- have five city centres located along railway on tax revenue, boosting the quality of life ready boasts 50,000 residents and the com- tracks and main roads. Over the period of 60 for Espoo’s residents. mercial, office and residential development years, the size of Espoo has grown ten-fold. Along the tracks, we find some of the shows no signs of slowing down. Also the This growth continues at a rate of 4,000 new most notable areas in Finland. Keilaniemi is Espoo Centre, located along the very same inhabitants every year. Out of this number, a hi-tech hub which features the headquar- tracks, is a large city centre which has em- half comes from organic population growth ters of Nokia, Kone, Microsoft and Fortum. braced development lately. and the rest comes from international resi- There is still room in this corporate neigh- With all these changes, Espoo is mak- dents moving into Espoo. bourhood for newcomers, too. ing sure that it will become an even more Even with all the development that has Next to Keilaniemi, there is Aalto Uni- attractive place to live – from the point of been going on in Espoo over the years, it is versity – named after the famous architect view of both people and companies, nation- important to note that there are still plenty of Alvar Aalto – which combines technology, ally and internationally. O 6 Nordicum Annual Convention of Property Investment Prospects 2013 Window to the Finnish Real Estate Industries

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Kauppakartanonkatu 7, 00930 Helsinki Puh. 09-2511 110, expo@arvelin.fi www.arvelin.fi Photo: Eric Millette The Helsinki Spring Straight up: serial entrepreneur Steve Blank discusses what’s right with the Finnish start-up scene – and, more relevantly, what’s wrong with it

Last September, U.S. start-up expert Steve Blank spent three weeks in Finland teaching and speaking to thousands of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, government officials and even ministers. A year later, Blank remains convinced that Finland has the potential to become a start-up hub as long as the country develops a long-term strategy for venture investing.

8 Nordicum uring his visit, Blank found a whole lot D of smart, passionate entrepreneurs in Helsinki who are serious about build- ing a start-up hub in the pocket-size me- The Customer Development tropolis. “The biggest strength of Finland is Manifesto the tremendous enthusiasm of the entrepre- neurs,” he says. “I met a lot of very smart, talented, by Steve Blank creative people – in fact, some of the finest start-up entrepreneurs in the world are to be found in Finland.” What is a start-up? A start-up is a temporary organisation designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. Here’s how you do it: Despite the Best of Intentions ‡ WKHUHDUHQRIDFWVLQVLGH\RXUEXLOGLQJVRJHWRXWVLGH One of the challenges they face, Blank says, ‡ SDLUFXVWRPHUGHYHORSPHQWZLWKDJLOHGHYHORSPHQW comes from the Finnish government, which ‡ IDLOXUHLVDQLQWHJUDOSDUWRIWKHVHDUFKIRUWKHEXVLQHVVPRGHO is trying to help, but gets in the way. ‡ LI\RX¶UHDIUDLGWRIDLO\RX¶UHGHVWLQHGWRGRVR “We have a situation here, where gov- ‡ LWHUDWLRQVDQGSLYRWVDUHGULYHQE\LQVLJKW ernment bureaucrats – who couldn’t run a ‡ YDOLGDWH\RXUK\SRWKHVHVZLWKH[SHULPHQWV lemonade stand in the real world – make in- ‡ VXFFHVVEHJLQVZLWKEX\LQIURPLQYHVWRUVDQGFRIRXQGHUV vestments on companies, trying to pick win- ‡ QREXVLQHVVSODQVXUYLYHVILUVWFRQWDFWZLWKFXVWRPHUV ners with absolutely no competence.” ‡ QRWDOOVWDUWXSVDUHDOLNH Blank points out that it is hard enough ‡ VWDUWXSPHWULFVDUHGLIIHUHQWIURPH[LVWLQJFRPSDQLHV to pick which existing companies with ‡ DJUHHRQPDUNHWW\SH±LWFKDQJHVHYHU\WKLQJ known business models you’re supposed to ‡ IDVWIHDUOHVVGHFLVLRQPDNLQJF\FOHWLPHVSHHGDQGWHPSR aid. Yet Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency ‡ LILW¶VQRWDERXWSDVVLRQ\RX¶UHGHDGWKHGD\\RXRSHQHG\RXUGRRUV for Technology and Innovation, does that – ‡ VWDUWXSWLWOHVDQGIXQFWLRQVDUHYHU\GLIIHUHQWIURPDFRPSDQ\¶V and is trying to act like a government-run ‡ SUHVHUYHFDVKZKLOHVHDUFKLQJ$IWHULW¶VIRXQGVSHQG Venture Capital firm, directing considerable ‡ FRPPXQLFDWHDQGVKDUHOHDUQLQJ funds to the chosen ones. ‡ VWDUWXSVGHPDQGFRPIRUWZLWKFKDRVDQGXQFHUWDLQW\ “Tekes is the elephant in the room no one is talking about,” he says.

Product of the Environment According to Blank, Tekes has ended up competing with – and pretty much stifling preneur from the decades past and rebrand- Slush 2012, the largest tech, design – the nascent Finnish VC industry, indis- ed entrepreneurs as “the new rock stars.” and start-up conference in Northern Europe criminately handing out checks to entrepre- One example of this biz revolution is and Russia, was organised by Startup Sau- neurs as an entitlement. (Blank acknowledg- Aalto Entrepreneurship Society (), na, an affiliate. The event es that Tekes is very much a product of its an independent, privately funded student was opened by Jyrki Katainen, the Prime environment: the government plays a simi- and post-graduate led community initiative Minister of Finland, and was attended by lar role in all aspects of Finnish life.) founded in 2009. Aaltoes encourages high- some of the world’s most influential tech- “Trying to create a successful start- tech, high-growth, scalable entrepreneur- nology entrepreneurs and investors includ- up ecosystem with this type of policy is of ship, while building a tight start-up network ing Jason Chein, Aydin Senkut, Esther Dy- no use. This government experiment where in Northern Europe. These students believe son and Ike Lee. you try to build from top down is failing,” in grassroots action, self-initiative and lean The changing of the guard was appar- Blank says. practices – and the power of the positive. ent in the Prime Minister’s comments, too, Blank is convinced that Tekes lacks a Aaltoes brings business-minded youth as he analysed that traditional industries may long-term plan of what the Finnish govern- in touch with role models such as Steve never recover their former foothold in Finn- ment’s role should be in funding start-ups. Blank, and assists fledgling businesses to ish economy and society – and this type of Blank’s suggestion is simple enough: the find the tools and the resources they need new, growth-oriented entrepreneurship may government might want to consider putting to get started. By creating a strong, inter- well be the way of the future. themselves out of the public funding busi- nationally-oriented community and a sup- ness by using public capital to kick-start pri- portive culture, Aaltoes believes that great- From Fool to Cool vate venture capital firms, incubators and ness will follow. accelerators. This transition should be car- According to Steve Blank, previously there ried out in five to ten years, Blank believes. Slushmania was a notion in Finland that entrepreneurs were “weird” in one way or the other. Most of the Aaltoes events and operations “Now the feeling is that entrepreneurs Wanted: A Fighting Chance take place at Aalto Venture Garage located are respected and rather well thought of – Blank sees great potential for Finnish start- at the Aalto University campus. However, and starting your own company has become ups: There are thousands of excited students as start-up conference Slush rolled around a cool thing to do,” Blank says. Also, the at “innovation university” Aalto alone, and in November 2012, the kids needed a bigger core infrastructure for launching and run- the Uni is working hard to become an out- place to show their stuff. More than 3,000 ning your own business has become so much ward facing institution, encouraging stu- visitors, including about 500 start-up com- cheaper, thanks to technological marvels dents to think big. The students have taken panies and 200 investors, gathered at Kaape- such as cloud services. the lacklustre image of the Finnish entre- litehdas just off downtown Helsinki. “It doesn’t cost as much to start your

Nordicum 9 Photo: Tourist and Convention Bureau of City Helsinki / Kaisa Luukannel

company now as it used to,” says Blank who raise a family may, in all likelihood, work Cut the Net got his start in Silicon Valley in the late 70’s. against its efforts to become a start-up hub. Creating a start-up ecosystem requires How come? Another trend Blank observes in Finland is more than a few growth-minded companies, Blank explains that Finland’s culture the national tendency to rally around one however. Blank acknowledges that while the makes risk-taking and sharing difficult. The company and imitate everything it does. Finnish start-up scene has given the world built-in safety nets in nearly all parts of a In Finnish business, for the longest time, quality companies – the list runs from F-Se- Finn’s life – health insurance, free college that company was Nokia, but as the mobile cure and MySQL to Rovio and Supercell – tuition, unions, collective bargaining, fixed phone giant has hit hard times, the torch has it’s not clear yet whether the number of start- work hours – makes entrepreneurs afraid to been passed on to Rovio, the maker of An- ups in Helsinki is sufficient to truly ignite. take a gamble and fail; and failure is the key gry Birds. “I feel like it’s getting there: the eco- to building a start-up. “Companies trying to mimic what system is taking shape, being built from the Blank gives an example: employees in someone else is doing are bound to fail. ground up.” an early stage start-up expect to work normal Look at Rovio, they didn’t set out to be the hours, to get paid a regular salary, and they ‘next Nokia’,” he points out. wouldn’t dream of asking for equity. (The “The next success story will always The Shadow of be something nobody’s thought of yet.” O the Nanny State same as mom and dad in their nine-to-fives.) “Here in Silicon Valley, we encour- Still, Blank doesn’t hesitate to calls this blos- age risk and accept failure. You know what soming cluster “a miracle” since what makes we call a failed entrepreneur here? Experi- Finland such a wonderful place to live and enced,” Blank says. Sami J. Anteroinen 10 Nordicum Portrait of a Serial Entrepreneur: Steve Blank

lank had a life-altering experience during the Vietnam War B while he was repairing fighter plane electronics in Thailand. As a nineteen-year-old technician, Blank saw fighter planes take off every day with bombs hanging under their wings. The ulti- mate lesson of war finally hit the teenager at full force as he under- stood that not all planes were coming back. Returning to the States, Blank arrived in Silicon Valley in 1978 as boom times began – and was soon on his way to becoming a fear- less serial entrepreneur. (Not bad from someone who, according to his own admission, might have been chosen “least likely to succeed” in his high school class.) Still, things didn’t always go smoothly in the start-up land – Blank would get yelled at, run out of money and get stuck being on both ends of stupid decisions – but after the war, he knew how to put those things in perspective. Entrepreneurship is hard, sure – but you can’t die. Blank joined his first of eight start-ups including two semicon- ductor companies, Zilog and MIPS Computers; Convergent Tech- nologies; a supercomputer firm, Ardent; peripheral supplier, Super- Mac; a military intelligence systems supplier, ESL; Rocket Science Games. Blank co-founded startup number eight, E.piphany, in his living room in 1996. When NORDICUM asked Blank, which one of his eight “ba- bies” were the most memorable ones, Blank was quick to respond: number seven and number eight. For Rocket Science Games, Blank corralled 30 million dollars of VC money and went out of business in a spectacular fashion. After this “unlucky seven,” he was able to rebound and collect another 12 million dollars from investors who hadn’t lost their faith on Blank’s ability to pick the winners. The result: E.piphany proved to be a massive dot-com bubble home run which resulted in an IPO to the tune of two billion dollars. After 21 years in eight high technology companies, Steve Blank retired in 1999. Leaving the trenches behind, Blank walked away with a realisation that a start-up is a different animal altogether. In his view, start-ups are not small versions of large companies: large companies execute business models, but start-ups, instead, search for them. As Blank realised that start-ups need their own tools – differ- ent than those used to manage existing companies – he set out to create some handy instruments. Blank’s first tool for startups, the Customer Development methodology, spawned the Lean Startup movement. The fundamentals of Customer Development are de- tailed in Blank’s first book, The Four Steps to the Epiphany (2003). His second book, The Startup Owner’s Manual, was published in March 2012. It is a step-by-step guide to building a successful company that incorporates the best practices, lessons and tips of the start-up scene. Blank teaches Customer Development and entrepreneurship at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley Haas Business School and Columbia University, and his Customer Development process is taught at universities throughout the world. In 2011, the National Science Foundation adopted Blank’s class for its Innovation Corps (I-Corps), training teams of the nation’s top scientists and engi- neers, to take their ideas out of the university lab and into the com- mercial marketplace. In 2009, Blank earned the Stanford University Undergraduate Teaching Award in Management Science and Engineering; that same year, the San Jose Mercury News listed him as one of the 10 Influ- encers in Silicon Valley. In 2010, he earned the Earl F. Cheit Out- standing Teaching Award at U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business. In 2012, the Harvard Business Review listed Blank as one of the “Masters of Innovation”. O High Hopes

Helsinki wants to go vertical – but which of the 50 high-rise projects are truly viable?

After decades of existence close to the street level, the Daughter of the Baltic is seeking the high life. High-rise construction is the talk of the town all around the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, with authorities nodding approvingly. The critics’ camp is in an uproar, complaining that the city profile will be sacrificed to the corporate altar. With 50 tower projects in the works in Helsinki alone, one is right to ask: what’s going on?

irst of all, while the number of tenta- light for construction to seaside areas which long time to make its mark here. The for- F tive projects is large (at least for a city were formerly housing port/industrial func- mer harbour areas – and Jät- of Helsinki’s size), it is likely that on- tions. As port operations have moved to the käsaari – seem like perfect pilots for the City ly a handful will ever materialise. The oth- Eastern harbour, attractive water- to go vertical. er thing, then, is that the key historic areas front areas are now open for development will remain off limits to construction – there – and tower construction is a viable option, Kalasatama Goes Manhattan will be no skyscrapers taking off from the since it allows tight community structure. Senate Square. High-rise construction is a Central Eu- Located in eastern central Helsinki, Kala- The City has, however, given a green ropean trend which has been waiting for a satama centre is the single most significant

12 Nordicum Photo: Helsinki City Planning Department

construction project in Helsinki in this dec- Urban living of this kind is unprece- and wellbeing centre, a sky bar, and a view- ade. Thanks to excellent transport connec- dented in Finland and the idea is to attract ing terrace. Architects Aki Davidsson and tions, Kalasatama centre is close to core well-to-do people for residents. The first Jaana Tarkela are in charge of the design downtown area, and provides a good exam- flats will be completed mid-decade and the of the hotel which should open its doors in ple of a sustainable community. The devel- last will be completed at the turn of the dec- November 2014. oper here is SRV which is in the habit of de- ade. According to the plans, flats are offered Buchardt is seeking to duplicate the livering high-profile projects – such as the for various life stages and come with vary- success of Victoria Tower Hotel, opened in downtown Music House or Kamppi Centre. ing levels of amenities. Kista Science City in Stockholm in Septem- Construction started in 2011 and is expect- ber 2011. The Finnish sister tower will be ed to go on for 20 years. Towering Hotel for Jätkäsaari? almost as tall as Victoria. The show-stopper in the mix is the ”eight-pack”, an octet of high-rise towers Jätkäsaari, located just a stone’s throw west Sports Skyscraper in Pasila forming the base of Kalasatama Centre. SRV from Helsinki downtown, is supposed to will build flats in six of these buildings, the house at least one giant. A 33-storey ho- Going inland a few kilometers to Pasila, one highest of which will extend to over 120 me- tel – tentatively named the Kämp Tower – finds the site for another high-profile busi- tres. The houses will be built on a park deck will be about 120 metres high. Behind the nessman’s dream. Business tycoon Hjallis so that even the ground floor of the build- wild vision there is Norwegian investor Ar- Harkimo wants to raise a 120-metre building ings will rise above the other buildings sur- thur Buchardt, whose design hotel project in on the parking lot of Hartwall Arena which rounding the centre of Kalasatama. Katajanokka crashed and burned earlier on. he also built. The planning took off from Both the height and location of the Despite the setback, Buchardt hasn’t lost his the realisation that even as Hartwall Arena houses make them a unique residential pro- faith on Helsinki, and is pushing for the re- is the largest sports stadium and entertain- ject in Finland and also the housing technol- alisation of the EUR 120 million project. ment complex in Helsinki, the full potential ogy represents latest innovations. In this pro- According to initial plans, the gross of the arena remains unused outside major ject, the future inhabitants will be includ- floor area of the building would be 30,000 events such as ice hockey tournaments and ed in the planning at an early stage to ena- square metres, housing 380 rooms, res- international rock shows. ble discussion concerning new kinds of res- taurants, convertible congress and concert The answer: Leijona Tower which con- idential needs. premises for up to 1,000 persons, a fitness sists of apartments, offices, and a rooftop Nordicum 13 Helsinki City Planning Department Photo: Davidsson Tarkela Architects /

Keilaniemi: The Missing Link restaurant with a viewing deck. The podium Introducing Residential contains a sports centre with various sports The planned residential towers are close programmes. The roof of the podium ex- Moving on to Espoo, there are big plans to the culturally and historically valuable tends the current deck surface of the Leijo- under way as well. The proud skyscraper milieu of Tapiola, the fabled Garden City. na square providing for the public space in line-up in Keilaniemi – with headquarters The broad expanses of green areas in Tapi- terms of green landscape and various sports of Nokia, Kone and Fortum standing tall ola will be complemented by Keilaniemen- uses like basketball and wall climbing. along the shore – is about to receive some puisto Park. The new park is to be built over All and all, Leijona Tower could add 50,000 reinforcements. This time, however, there a deck which will provide a green link be- square meters of new construction to the site. will be a twist: while Keilaniemi is a corpo- tween the Keilaniemi waterfront and Ta- The tower project might well come to rate neighbourhood, the newcomers will in- piola. life, since there are no neighbours to com- troduce residential living to the area. Once For developer SRV, this decade of- plain about living in the shadow of the gi- again, the developer here is SRV. fers plenty of challenges with both Kalasa- ant and two railways and a massive road There are, in total, four residential tow- tama and Keilaniemi reaching for the sky: network make sure the complex is superbly er blocks which are being planned for Keila- there is a total of twelve towers to construct. connected. Furthermore, Harkimo’s drive in niemi. The towers have been planned to to- The company has, however, planned the demanding real estate projects is well doc- tal 32–36 storeys. construction and commercialisation sched- umented: after all, Hartwall Arena came to The flats in these round towers would ules in a flexible manner so that it can phase exist even if the politicians at the time (in- open to the surrounding landscape as widely the projects according to the market situa- cluding the Prime Minister) weren’t too as possible. Furthermore, a comprehensive tion. O keen on it. range of flat types can be created in the tow- According to the initial schedule, con- ers, using high-quality materials. The shared struction phase would start in 2013 and the recreation and sauna premises are planned tower would be ready for public by the end to span the entire top floor, so that even in- of 2015. Nothing, however, has been heard habitants of the lower-level flats will be able from the project for a year now. to enjoy the open seaside views. Sami J. Anteroinen

14 Nordicum Core Concerns City centres must reinvent themselves – or risk being forgotten altogether

City centres have traditionally held an important role in Photo: City of Seinäjoki / Seppo Kari society, but motorisation and emergence of shopping centres away from city centres has meant that downtown is no longer the only game in town. However, the city centres are not badly armed in this fight: authenticity and history work in the favour of downtown hubs. Still, shopping centres have succeeded in offering a well- balanced mix in a compact setting, and city centres are under constant pressure to keep evolving.

he problem with revitalising efforts is scarce to begin with. Also, there are a range Tekes-funded Kautas project sought T that it is easy enough to transform the of players in the city centres – property own- to find out, what makes city centres tick – downtown area in a city where the busi- ers, tenant companies, residents, city plan- why do people go there (or why don’t they)? ness is booming – but quite hard to pull it off ners, customers – and it can be exceeding- Through involvement from University of Jy- if local economy is suffering and money is ly difficult to see eye to eye on some issues. väskylä, University of as well as

Nordicum 15 The population of Tampere continues to grow rapidly: during the next 20 years, there will be 90,000 new residents in the Tampere Region.

Turku School of Economics, the final report is not all about consumption or running er- Open For All from the project offers some interesting in- rands. The Kautas report points out that the sights into the matter. consumer can be perceived as modern day The way to combat this is to make city cen- flâneur who is consuming experiences: he/ tres open, accessible and safe. Encouraging Setting the Tone she is enjoying the freedom of choice offered diversity means that there are more choices by the urban environment, happily taking in and more potential patrons. City centres can First of all, the report argues that city cen- the stimulation. serve people of all ages and social groups, if tre serves as a meeting place – as well as a According to the report, operating in they are versatile and flexible enough. context – for social and private life, leisure, urban space in very much about creating Professor Lasse Mitronen from the business and culture. Commercial activity meaning for the individual. Personal and so- University of Tampere offered some inter- takes priority, but downtown shopping can cial reasons motivate the person to go down- esting perspectives at a “Dynamic city cen- be seen as a necessity or, alternatively, lei- town and spend some time there (as youth tre” conference held in Tampere in August surely pursuit. If shopping is placed in a lei- behaviour demonstrates, for example). On 2012. He pointed out to some vibrant urban sure context, it is not much different from the other hand, urban space takes guises centres – such as Chiswick in London, Gin- strolling along the streets or seeing the sights which can have adverse effect on willing- za in Tokyo or, closer to home, Østerbro in – the things people enjoy doing in an urban ness to go downtown (for example, elder- Copenhagen – as some places also Finns setting anyway. ly people who don’t want to go to city cen- could draw inspiration from. Therefore, spending time at city centre tre after dark). According to Mitronen, working traf- 16 Nordicum Photo: Studio Daniel Libeskind for NCC, Aerial photo: Lentokuva Vallas Oy regards to the retail offering, he believes that buildings and a shopping centre of around the international chains could well co-exist 60 shops on it. The buildings are due for with a more local offering – there is room completion during autumn 2014 and also the for both. new shopping centre should open its doors then. Experts are hailing the deck solution Walk This Way as a genius invention which will help this Southern Finland city to create – finally – a Appearing at the same seminar, there was unified city centre, with a brand new shop- Project Manager Kalle Vaismaa from traffic ping centre at the core. research centre Verne, who championed the cause of the pedestrians. He has been bench- Seinäjoki Success Story marking Central European cities and noticed that “pedestrian power” is really rising all Further away northwest, one finds the City over. In Odense, Denmark, for example, pe- of Seinäjoki, a formed backwater which has destrians are considered VIPs in the City’s now become the most dynamic community traffic strategy, meaning that there is a vari- in the country, attracting people and business ety of services targeted for this group alone. alike. The Seinäjoki city centre has benefit- In some cities, motor traffic clearly ad- ed from the good times – but the entrepre- justs to the speed of the pedestrians and not neurs and the City have also worked hard the other way around. Enjoyable pedestrian to maximise the appeal. routes around the downtown – and along the There are about 2,500 residents right waterfront, if applicable – are sure to peak in the city centre, and, for the majority of people’s interest. Different types of walking the residents of Seinäjoki, the city centre is tours – with e.g. historical or architectural within walking or cycling distance. In a text themes – also go a long away in instilling a book fashion, there are good walkways in pedestrian culture which encourages people every main direction and pedestrian streets to stay in the downtown area – even after as well as separate walkways for pedestri- most shops have closed their doors. ans and bicycles. Both Mitronen and Vaismaa appeared There are over 300 shopping services at the conference which marked the 15th in the city centre, covering an area of over anniversary of Finnish Living City Centre 90,000 m2. Espstori shopping centre is the Association. During this time, the Living focus point of the commercial activity, but City Centre Association has spearheaded the pedestrians are also partial to the Alvar Aal- cause of dynamic downtown areas, trying to administrative and cultural centre. Peo- to find ways to keep moving forward. The ple from all over enjoy walking and admir- association awards one distinguished city ing the work of the Finnish master architect. each year for accomplishments in this field. Finlandia Park Taking Shape Mikkeli Magic Alvar Aalto’s grand designs are an even hotter topic in Helsinki. No major retool- In 2012, this recognition went to Mikkeli ing is in the cards for the core downtown for revamping their city centre to the tune area here, but the Töölönlahti bay area just of 153 million euros (with the City’s share off the Parliament is going under a seri- kept down at 10 %). The upgrade relied on ous make-over. Already back in 1962, Aal- careful planning: together with the citizens, to fashioned Töölönlahti to be transformed a City 2010 vision was created already back from its almost nature state to a modern, ur- in 2002–2005 – and that vision was realised ban area dominated by monumental culture almost in its entirety. buildings. Finlandia Hall and Opera House Now, the Eastern Finland city boasts a did arrive to the scene (if not in a form in- brand new travel centre and a super-dynam- tended by Aalto), but the bay has been left fic connections are the key to any vibrant ic duo: the former Shopping Centre of the alone for the most part. hub. Also the places and spaces must be Year (2010) Akseli and reigning Shopping Now, the second wave of develop- “human-scale”, so that the pedestrians are Centre of the Year (2012) Stella. Add to the ment has kicked off in earnest: the Helsinki not overwhelmed in anyway. Mitronen talks mix, a lively year-round market square, pe- Music Centre has already been raised, with about increasing the sense of safety by light- destrian center with heated walkways and plenty of construction to follow. The area – ing, clear, concise paths for movement, man- the most modern market square parking fa- called Finlandia Park – is supposed to fea- icured parks and rest areas. cility around, and you know why Mikkeli is ture 103,000 square metres of new buildings, Mitronen also has a clear opinion on so hot right now. with business and office premises grabbing the optimal mix regarding old and new Innovative thinking is very much the as much as three fourths of the total (for ex- buildings: he sees that the preservation and key to the city centre renewal at Hämeenlin- ample, the new HQ of forest giant UPM will utilisation of existing, older properties is na, also. The City of Hämeenlinna is build- be located here). very important and renewal projects should ing a 230-metre deck over highway 3, link- Finlandia Park promises to be an ur- take care to respect the old stock. ing the western and eastern parts of the city ban oasis offering something for everyone Lasse Mitronen also pointed out that centre. Construction work began in Septem- – and there are plans to place the central li- no city centre is all about the stores. Apart- ber 2011, with the deck set for completion brary right here, as Finland celebrates her ments and jobs are needed, too; a plethora of in June 2013. centennial anniversary in 2017. O cafés, restaurants and other places for people Once the deck is completed, construc- to meet and spend some time together. With tion company NCC will build apartment Sami J. Anteroinen Nordicum 17 High Times Finland’s biggest residential area project is taking shape in Kalasatama, Helsinki – bringing also unprecedented commercial appeal

Kalasatama is the most significant residential area construction project in Finland during this decade, and quite possibly the next, too. In fact, the area will be ready by 2030 when 20,000 residents and 8,000 jobs are to be found here. An undertaking of this magnitude deserves a worthy anchor – and SRV is poised to build a strong heart for the new district.

alasatama Centre will introduce the ty of action down below, as well: SRV wants on this challenge for a long time. Bench- K age of skyscrapers into the metropol- to maximise the impact of the centre by cre- marking of international success stories has itan area – with as many as eight high- ating a superb shopping centre. yielded insights into such issues as customer rise towers reaching for the sky. flow and guidance techniques, but the most This octet of towers will be built Ready for important lesson is, in fact, a matter of the around the Itäväylä highway and the metro heart: station. All and all, there will be six residen- Pia Svensk, the new Director of Retail Con- “What is missing from Finnish shop- tial towers, one office tower and one hotel cepts for SRV, says that the shopping centre ping centres right now is emotion,” she tower, with the highest of the pack rising up REDI will be something to see. She is of the says, pointing out that many shopping cen- to 126 metres. Consequently, Itäväylä and opinion that the very best shopping centre tres come off as sterile places of business, the metro will be covered with an expansive in Helsinki might not have been built yet: with no real feel to them. She talks of “cold green deck, allowing for smooth traffic flow. “We are confident that REDI will be a space” which should be brought to life While residential living in Helsinki is contender for the top spot,” she says, add- through various means. destined to reach new heights, there is plen- ing that SRV has been in preparation to take “In the best international shopping 18 Nordicum ises on Kalasatama centre. She couldn’t be about one billion euros to SRV’s revenue more excited about the task ahead: over a period of ten years. “This project offers great opportuni- Markus Laine, Director, Real Estate ties and it will, among other things, change Transactions and Investors for SRV, says the silhouette of the entire city. It’s exhila- that the company is able to use the experi- rating to be a part of this thing right from ences from Kamppi centre – hailed as a suc- the beginning,” she says. cess story by also international experts – in What will REDI entail, then? Accord- the making of the new centre. ing to the plans, there will be food, fashion, “The logistical challenge at Kamppi leisure, activities and attractions, cafés and was bigger, however, because construction restaurants…everything you need for qual- took place right in the downtown area. This ity every-day life. time we won’t be dealing with traffic jams “REDI will respond to the daily needs as much,” he says. Also, as Kamppi is a lo- of the consumers – and it will also offer a gistics hub with thousands of people sim- little bit of luxury,” Svensk promises. Her ply passing through the centre, the action challenge is to make sure that REDI pro- concentrates on the ground level. Going up, vides something for everyone – but that there are less people. Kalasatama will be “everyone” must feel special from the mo- built differently: ment he/she walks through the doors. “The three floors of the shopping cen- “The patron should feel that this is tre will have their own but equal status,” something strictly for me,” she defines the Laine promises. objective. The 150 stores/restaurants of the “On the other hand, we are now per- centre should be able to oblige even de- forming high-rise construction on a scale manding customers. that is unprecedented in Finland. This is one of the challenges as this type of construc- Enjoy the Every-Day tion hasn’t been done yet – by anyone,” he analyses. centres, when you go in, you immediate feel In Svensk’s mind, the new shopping centre immersed in colour, sounds and scents. You must be “easy and versatile” with big em- Vertical & Visual are being whisked off into a different world phasis on enjoyable every-day life. For the – and that’s where the experience lies.” primary target group, she envisions youth- Besides the height of the towers, there are al- ful-minded city dwellers who enjoy a wide so other elements in the architecture. In addi- Make the Connection range of services and activities. tion to striking visuals, the architectural so- The construction work for REDI start- lutions will also make sure that the custom- As the former Department Store Director, ed in August 2011 and first part of the shop- ers find their way easily – the whole Cen- Svensk has plenty of experience from com- ping centre should be completed in 2016, tre will be realised in a manner that will op- municating with demanding customers on an around the same time as the first residential timise customer flow and create a dynam- emotional level and she is bringing her con- tower and the municipal healthcare centre. ic atmosphere. siderable vision to the project. Svensk leads Rest of the Kalasatama Centre project will Laine joined SRV a year ago in a situ- the development and design of the retail con- be completed in phases by 2022. It is esti- ation where the amount of projects for sale cepts as well as the renting of retail prem- mated that the megaproject will contribute had increased due to the launch of the Kala- Nordicum 19 satama Centre project. During Laine’s start at the company, his phone has been ring- ing quite a lot: “There is definitely a lot of interest from the investors in this project, and dur- ing the year, we have been able to offer a more detailed picture of what’s to come.” It is no wonder that a cross between a shopping centre and a city centre – in the middle of a catchment area of a million peo- ple – has attracted a lot of attention, even this early on in the game. Laine points out that everything in Kalasatama starts and ends with the great connections: “There are half a million people living with a 15 minutes’ car ride from the Cen- tre,” he offers an example. Even the interna- tional airport is located conveniently nearby. Taking All Comers REDI is also ready to handle the flow of cus- tomers regardless of the mode of transport they utilise: starting from the bottom, there are several levels reserved for car parking, one level for buses, trams and pedestrians and one for the metro traffic. “By having these three entrance levels, we can keep the people flow pretty even,” adds Laine. According to Pia Svensk, the remark- able architecture of the centre has a big role in generating strong footfall and, ultimate- ly, leading to a superior shopping experi- ence. SRV is clearly looking to hit a home run and to elicit a “Wow!” or two from the patrons when they visit the shopping oasis for the first time. “The best shopping centres in the Fantastic world are also travel destinations in their own right. We want to create something here that will cause a definite buzz – and make people come and check it out for themselves Four what the fuss is about.”

Bridging Private& Public hile eight towers go vertical in the east, there are four other towers waiting In addition to shopping splendour, about W in the wings in the west. SRV is looking to “make it a dozen” by introduc- 2,000 people will also be able to call Kala- ing new kind of residential innovation to the most high-profile corporate satama Centre their home, as the entity will shore in the land: namely, Keilaniemi in Espoo. feature a strong residential element – com- Keilaniemi is home to such Finnish corporate giants as Kone, Nokia and For- plete with breathtaking seaviews, of course. tum – and their headquarters are not exactly small in size, either. So far, no residen- The centre will also include public premises, tial solutions have been developed for the neighbourhood. Sensing a golden oppor- for example a social and healthcare service tunity, SRV came up with a concept of Keilaniemi Towers a few years ago. facility for the City of Helsinki. According to the plans, Keilaniemi Towers is to feature four housing towers Project Development Director Jouko which certainly won’t be eclipsed by their neighbours: with 30–40 storeys each, the Pöyhönen views Kalasatama as the new, buildings will reach over 120 metres. Due to their round design, the towers will be powerful centre for the Helsinki core area able to offer optimal seaside views. in the east. The area under development includes about 70,000 square metres of residen- “The key issues here deal with link- tial building volume. The key idea is that the residential development plan will go ing commercial and public services in the hand in hand with the construction of the metro line. context of one common concept,” he says, Project Development Director Jouko Pöyhönen comments that the project has adding that similarities to Kamppi do exist. its share of challenges – the traffic arrangements in the area, for example, are quite Pöyhönen also knows that the undertaking demanding. Nevertheless, SRV is committed to the project and believes that the four is far from “business-as-usual,” even for a towers will make a spectacular addition to Keilaniemi. company as big as SRV. “Keilaniemi Towers is a mega-class project and we are keen on following “The sheer size of the Kalasatama pro- through with it.” O ject makes it very important for our compa- ny,” he says. O 20 Nordicum The new Jätkäsaari district provides striking visuals.

Total Make-Over With focus on waterfront renaissance, Helsinki kicks-off a true transformation

Helsinki is going full-speed into the future. Shifting the former In addition to new construction, the freight port operations away from central city sites to a new eastern City is taking care to pump some new blood into old downtown quarters which are full harbour in Vuosaari has opened the game for ambitious waterfront of historic atmosphere. As early as 1810, construction. As a result, the Daughter of the Baltic has now entered Johan Albrecht Ehrenström (1762–1847) the biggest construction boom in the city’s history. Large areas are set out to draw a plan with straight, wide already under redevelopment, as residential and commercial and office streets placed on a geometric grid. The main buildings during the early years of the capi- construction is kicking off along the shores. tal were designed by architect Carl Ludwig Engel (1778–1840). The result: Helsinki’s legendary Neo-Classical city centre. Finlandia Park Taking Shape Hidden Pearls Downtown ccording to the City’s redevelop- A ment strategy, the goal here is to cre- Finlandia Park promises to be an “urban oa- Over the years, the activity has moved west- ate compact city sections. The de- sis” for residents and tourists alike – a key wards from the Senate Square and Market velopment is carried out on the “mixed-use part of the city’s active core. The park is Square which used to be the traditional heart principle”: jobs are mixed with many types packed with cultural institutions of the high- of the city. Härkönen comments that in the of housing for different income groups, to est calibre, such as the new Music Centre, process some “real pearls” may have been avoid segregation along income lines and Finlandia Hall congress and concert centre, overlooked. long commutes. the National Opera, the City Museum and “We are now in the process of re-en- Perhaps most notable impact, howev- Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. A ergising the old quarters, bringing some life er, will be felt in the downtown area. Pro- new wave of office construction is complet- back into these neighbourhoods.” The key ject Director Marko Härkönen says that the ing the picture, but a strong public element word here is “walkability”: the traditional appeal of the downtown is considerable as is maintained – even enforced. city quarters are very much human-scale, it is, and the new projects will help take the “The new centre library will be real- allowing pedestrian adventures in a seaside city to a new level: “For example, the new ised here,” Härkönen says, adding that the environment. Finlandia Park will offer something for eve- first phase of the architectural contest for Linking with this strategy, the City or- ryone – it will be a great place to spend some the library has already been completed and ganised an open international ideas compe- time and enjoy various events or just take in the final winner will be declared in the sum- tition in 2011 in order to envision how to the unique atmosphere.” mer 2013. best develop Helsinki’s South Harbour. Over Nordicum 21 Helsinki New Horizons: City of Helsinki Urban Development Areas Updated 19.9.2012, City of Helsinki / Economic and Planningg CenC tretrr

Östersundom Kuninkaankolmio Ormuspelto Alppikylä 2010110–2040404 35,355 0000 innhabh . Reggionioi all devd veloeloopmemeentt 201200 0–2022015 2010–2015 10,10 0000 jobs proojject, 20120 0–200––2–20250 1201220200 inhah b. 2,0202 000 inhab. 6,5500 inhabb.b 505 jobs 1,01, 000 jobobbsbs

Arabia–Hermanni Viikki Myllypuro–Roihupelto 2010–2013 20101010–20–0 0177 2012020010–2022020020 3,500 inhab.aab 5,00000 inhab.abb.. 2,5,5500 inhnhhab.ab 500 jobss 4,00000 jobbs 5,05,5,0000 jobobo s Vuosaari Pasila 2012 0–––220200 99,9,0000 inhhab.aba 2010–2–220400404 1,01,1 000 jobobbs 12,0000 inhabhah . 40,4 000000 joobs Kalasatama 2012 0–20–0–20300033300 20,2 00000000 inhababab. 8,08 00000 jobobobs Kruunuvuorenranta 20122001010–20252525 10,1 000 innhabh . Länsisatama 1,0001 jobobobs 201100–20303030 20,000 innhahabhab. 7,7, 0 0000 jobbs Central city area

here, one has to proceed with extreme cau- est wood quarter – known as Wood City – in tion. This system involves separating differ- tion, since the shoreline is a national treas- Jätkäsaari. At the end of November, the ar- ent types of waste and then transporting it ure all in itself and the harbour is a very ac- chitectural competition for Wood City came at high speeds through underground pipes. tive hub for passenger traffic. to its conclusion, with Anttinen Oiva Archi- One key element of the new district’s “In all our plans, we must take into tects winning the contest with their entry profile is the passenger harbour which will consideration the functions of the passen- ‘Stories’. According to the plans, realisation remain in the area – with talk of expansion ger harbour. Nevertheless, there remains a of Wood City will commence in early 2014. in the air. Various business premises and ser- lot that can be done to upgrade the area,” First order of business is a residential build- vices will be built along the feeder roads and Härkönen says, adding that in 2013 some ing and parking facility, with offices and a in the passenger harbour. projects will be set in motion to develop hotel soon to follow. the area. Building things out of wood is no Back to the Bunker In all the downtown projects, the City novelty in Finland, but apartment buildings Another landmark is the massive, six-storey is also eager to involve the local entrepre- made out of timber are still extremely rare. “Bunker”, a former 1970’s storage build- neurs: “Wooden buildings in Jätkäsaari can ing which is the size of a football field. The “Cooperation is one of our strengths encompass eight storeys,” Laitinen says. old giant will be put to good use in the new here and we want to listen very carefully neighbourhood: to the hopes and wishes of the businesses.” Green to the Core “A swimming hall will be placed there, Jätkäsaari: Wood City Green ideology is very much in the DNA of as well as a school – and on the roof, there Jätkäsaari, as the area is planned according will be residential construction,” Laitinen West of the South Harbour, we find Jät- to the principles of sustainable development. explains the plans. käsaari, a new urban area located just 10 An effective public transport network incor- The bunker will be linked with the Hy- minutes from the city centre. Schools, day- porating both trams and the metro will ser- väntoivonpuisto park which winds through care centres, a social centre and a sports cen- vice this compact urban structure. Jätkäsaari Jätkäsaari, inviting people to hang out here. tre are all in the cards for this new neigh- is also home to the “City Block for Sustain- The shores will be developed into public ar- bourhood. Project Director Timo Laitinen able Construction” project where SRV and eas with beach promenades, cafeterias and says that the new seaside community will be VVO are developing energy-efficient, inno- marinas – and as many as three tram lines an interesting mix of urban and marine envi- vative solutions for low-carbon or even car- will run here. The pedestrian and bicycle ronments – with a real green streak. bon neutral urban design and construction. routes by the sea open vistas to the seascape “There will be ambitious wood con- In the same vein, the waste manage- and breathe international port atmosphere. struction on unprecedented scale here,” ment of the entire Jätkäsaari area will be car- All and all, there will be homes for Laitinen says, pointing out that Stora Enso ried out using the environmentally friend- some 17,000 residents and workplaces for and SRV want to realise the country’s larg- ly technique of automated vacuum collec- around 6,000 people in Jätkäsaari – and there

22 Nordicum are already exciting things going on in the towers, and also a hotel tower and an office and restaurant ships – and the street grid has area. In the summer 2013, for instance, there tower. The towers will have 20–33 storeys, been designed in a manner that optimises will be quality maritime entertainment: the highest tower reaching 126 metres. In the seaside views for everyone. “Tall Ships Races is coming to Jät- Kalasatama Centre area, Itäväylä road will “The urban look of Kalasatama will käsaari, with as many as 100 ships expect- be covered with an extensive lawn-covered be something that hasn’t been seen in Fin- ed to make an appearance.” deck, which will also serve as the floor for land yet,” Asikainen promises. By 2030, residential building yards. The towers will the district will be a home for 20,000 res- Kalasatama: Smart City be complemented by a versatile commercial idents, with 8,000 people coming here to centre and a social and health care centre. work every day. In addition to Jätkäsaari, the other former port area which is now open for urban de- Centre of Attention Future in the Making velopment is Kalasatama. Located along the eastern shores of the core city area, Kalasa- There will also be a world-class shopping In addition to mighty high-rise construc- tama is just minutes away from downtown. centre here. Under the working title REDI, tion and the shoreline action, Kalasatama In addition to connectivity, there is beauti- the shopping centre will feature food, fash- will have considerable IQ. The district will ful maritime milieu here. ion, leisure, activities and attractions, ca- become a model for ambitious smart grids, Project Manager Hannu Asikainen is fés and restaurants and respond to the daily meaning, among other things, that residents convinced that upon completion, Kalasata- needs of the consumers. SRV wants to make can produce energy themselves – and ulti- ma will be an amazing area for everyone. the new shopping centre as easy-going and mately, sell it, too. Asikainen also remarks that effective pub- versatile as possible, with focus on enjoy- “Also the use of electric cars is encour- lic transport (spearheaded by the Kalasata- ing the every-day life. aged here,” Asikainen says. In line with the ma metro station) and the central location According to the plans, the social and green ideology, Kalasatama also features an make Kalasatama an alluring prospect for health care centre, streets and bridges and underground waste collection system that is residents and companies alike. There will be, the first residential tower will be completed identical to that of Jätkäsaari. for example, a six-kilometre promenade by in 2016 and the commercial centre should While the completion of construction the shore and ambitious high-rise construc- open for business at the same time. The re- is estimated to occur in the 2030s, there are tion at the Kalasatama Centre which will maining parts of the Kalasatama Centre will already hundreds of people living in the new become the heart of the new community. be gradually completed by 2021. district. Kalasatama has also made a name The Kalasatama Centre should be im- And that’s just the Centre: in addition, for itself as the fun place to go for various ac- pressive enough, consisting of six residential Kalasatama will feature floating apartments tivities and happenings. Asikainen has been

Jätkäsaari’s Wood City will feature breath-taking architecture and plenty of space for people to get together.

Nordicum 23 View from Kalasatama Centre to the South. pleased to notice that the citizens have al- the area is very much about the nature – there build a bridge from Kruunuvuorenranta to ready embraced the area: are impressive forests here and even the last Sompasaari via Korkeasaari – and accord- “In the future, we want to promote remaining nature-state pond in Helsinki. ing to initial plans, this would be tram-bi- this type of grass-roots activity even more, cycle-pedestrian bridge only. making sure that everyone has the chance Smitten by the Sea “We are looking into the bridge option to enjoy Kalasatama and everything it has and there is an international competition go- It is clear that the location of the district in an to offer.” ing regarding this subject,” Tirkkonen says, archipelagian seascape – on a peninsula pro- adding that the bridge project has attracted jecting into the sea – is of exceptional beau- Kruunuvuorenranta: some of the very best designers in the world. ty. The presence of the sea can be sensed Neighbourhood of Light “This shows that both Kruunuvuoren- everywhere and the shore can be reached ranta and Helsinki have plenty of interna- Slightly removed from Kalasatama and Jät- by foot in a matter of minutes. tional appeal.” käsaari, there is something equally exciting “We envision Kruunuvuorenranta as a in the works, as well. A new seaside dis- spa area for the metropolitan area, complete Pasila: Centre 2.0 trict, Kruunuvuorenranta, will be built dur- with a great beach,” Tirkkonen says, adding ing the next decade opposite the city centre, that in order to make that dream come true, Moving inland from the shores, we find on the eastern shore of Kruunuvuorenselkä the beach may well materialise before the Pasila, the number two traffic hub in the open sea. houses themselves. After all, if you’re go- nation. All the trains stop here and trams This close-to-the-nature residential ar- ing to build an area for 15-20 years, it makes and buses very much congregate in the ar- ea will be built in an area to be vacated by oil sense to create “social anchors” to make the ea, making Pasila – in essence – a second tanks – and in fact, the oil tanks have a role neighbourhood better known. city centre 3.5 kilometres removed from the in raising the profile of the neighbourhood. Another interesting feature is the “Ca- old city centre. Still, as potent as Pasila al- An art project, using light in an innovative nal City” which is being planned for the ready is there are plans to make it much more way – called Silo 468 – has been lighting up southern Koirasaari area: impressive: the idea here is to turn Central the neighbourhood-to-be for a while now. “We want the architecture and plan- Pasila into a new kind of urban centre for Project Director Jari Tirkkonen says ning to be of especially high quality in the business, service and housing. As the State that the light installation provides an am- Canal City. We are looking for a genuine ma- owns the land in the area, the development ple symbol since the idea is to turn Kruunu- rina-type atmosphere here, with landscape is very much a joint project between Senate vuorenranta into “a neighbourhood of light”. planning and visual aspects taking top pri- Properties and the City of Helsinki. “For instance, we want to integrate ority,” Tirkkonen says. At present, Central Pasila is being lighting solutions to buildings in a novel One key concern for Kruunuvuoren- dominated by the railway and rail yard. Once way and deploy other means, too,” Tirk- ranta is getting connected to the downtown the rail yard has been moved elsewhere, a konen promises. In addition, the profile of Helsinki via a bridge. There are plans to great deal of space becomes available and

24 Nordicum the making of a compact urban workplace, service and residential area can begin in ear- nest. At its core, Central Pasila will feature ambitious high-rise construction. “There are plans for altogether ten tow- ers in the area,” says Project Director Ni- na Puumalainen from the City of Helsinki. “The towers will feature both offices and residential space,” she adds while men- tioning that hybrid buildings are what the City would prefer to have in this setting, but other kinds of solutions can be deployed as well. The area with the towers is going through the zoning process, with a green light expected to be given in 2014. Business Power Hub Multispace facility and a true work of art utilising light: Silo 468 is the luminous herald for the coming construction of Kruunuvuorenranta. With the towers as its proud symbol, Cen- tral Pasila is expected to feature 10,000 jobs trict calls for offices and commercial premis- location and connections. Pasila sends an and 4,000 residents by 2030. Especially en- es to take up to 80% of the space with the re- international, high-quality message,” she terprise and business development players mainder being designated for residential use.” says. are likely to keep flocking to the area, as The rail yard districts will offer most The upcoming Pisara rail connection they have done in the past. Furthermore, housing opportunities, with as much as 80 will also – naturally – go via Pasila. Further there is a cluster of national and commer- % of space used for residential purposes. down the road, there is also the prospect of cial broadcasting media as well as digital a metro line. If and when such a venture content and services producers here. In ad- Lock on Location would materialise, Pasila would eclipse even dition, the Pasila Fair Centre is also strong- Helsinki main railway station, becoming the ly expanding. According to Puumalainen, companies number one hub in the country. Puumalai- Following on the heels of the tower are very excited about Pasila – in fact, it nen points out that the area is already being area, there are the Pasila centre district and is among the few places in the metropoli- groomed for the big future ahead: rail yard districts which are expected to have tan area where you don’t have to consider, “The infrastructural solutions – such as gone through the zoning process by 2015 whether the location is good or not. bridges – in Pasila are carried out in a way and 2016, respectively. “In a commercial sense or from of- befitting a true city centre – not just an ex- “For example, the plan for Centre Dis- fice viewpoint, Pasila offers simply superb tension of one.” O High-rise construction will transform the face of Pasila in the decades to come.

Nordicum 25 Break on Through to the Other Side

With the launch only a couple of years away, Espoo is putting the ‘metro’ in metropolis

Taking the metro from Helsinki to Espoo was a distant dream not so long ago, but right now, one can almost picture the launch of the western expansion line. After all, the new metro line will kick off at the end of 2015.

historical landmark was passed on 22 The total length of the metro tunnels 56 different electrical systems, from light- A November, 2012, as the Helsinki and of the western expansion line is 28 kilome- ing to track power supply and smoke detec- Espoo tunnels met at the border be- tres – or rather, there are two tunnels with a tion systems. tween the cities, under the sea. Both Mayor length of 14 km each. As it stands, the met- In addition to the stations, excavation Jukka Mäkelä from Espoo and Mayor Jussi ro project is the biggest single infrastruc- work will be carried out for fifteen vertical Pajunen from Helsinki were present to wit- ture undertaking in Finland today – and an shafts designed for emergency exit, pressure ness the momentous occasion. The uniting extremely high-profile case which is ob- equalisation, ventilation and smoke extrac- of the tunnels caps a stellar year which has served with a keen eye by also internation- tion. Nine work tunnels have been designed seen the excavation of the tunnels proceed al parties. for construction and maintenance work. at rapid pace, reports Matti Kokkinen, Man- The last eight months of the project aging Director of Länsimetro Oy. Starting the Stations have been reserved for the test drives, with “Currently, we have completed 72 per- the metro line’s external areas, such as esca- cent of the excavation effort in the tunnels, The tunnelling will be concluded in 2013, lators, platform areas, station buildings etc. meaning 20 kilometres.” During the last 12 but Kokkinen says that the focus is already being completed simultaneously. months, the tunnel teams have covered a dis- starting to shift to building of the stations. A “We want to have the metro stations tance of 13.5 kilometres, even surpassing the lot of details go into this demanding work: standing by and ready to go by the autumn target of one kilometre per month. for example, the stations will be fitted with of 2015,” says Kokkinen.

26 Nordicum Three Down, Three to Go Helsinki and Espoo every day. According to estimates, the busiest stations are likely to be November 2012 also marked the 3rd birth- Tapiola, Matinkylä and Lauttasaari. day of the metro project. Over a thousand Olavi Louko, Director of Technical days of hard, hard work have taken place un- and Environment Services for the City, says seen by most, since only one percent of the that the City of Espoo is expecting for the effort is visible above the ground. metroline to add a welcome dynamic ele- However, the impact of the metro will ment to the communities nearby the metro be something very tangible indeed. Spear- station – and also to areas which are a lit- heading this process, there is the develop- tle further off. ment of the individual metro stations and “The new Suurpelto community, for their surrounding areas. example, is only a couple of kilometres According to the original plan, the away from the nearest station and electrical- western expansion will introduce seven sta- ly charged e-buses can be used in the feed- tions, located in Espoo at Matinkylä, Urhei- er traffic,” he says. lupuisto, Tapiola, Otaniemi and Keilanie- The west metro will also run as an au- mi, and in Helsinki at Koivusaari and Laut- tomatic right from the beginning. The Hel- tasaari. sinki metro will go automatic even before There is also a reservation made for the completion of the western expansion. Niittykumpu station, but nothing is certain The automatic system will make train traf- as of yet, says Kokkinen. fic safer and faster, with increased frequen- “We are doing excavation in Niitty- cy. To begin with, the shortest interval be- kumpu and would like very much to go all tween trains will be 2.5 minutes. Ultimate- the way there.” Located between Matinkylä ly, the metro ride from Matinkylä to Ruo- and Urheilupuisto stations, Niittykumpu was holahti will take 16 minutes. previously only an option for future con- struction, but it might be viable build and Triangle Travel fund the Niittykumpu metro station simul- taneously with the other stations. Right from the initial planning phase, the metro project has been seen as an intrigu- Smart Traffic ing opportunity to bring closer together the T3 triangle: namely, Keilaniemi, Otaniemi It is already quite clear that the metro will and Tapiola. Each of these areas has left a bring a totally different kind of cohesion to permanent mark in history, and together they the regional rail transport system of South- form the most potent trio in the land. ern Espoo. It is estimated that over 100,000 First of all, the arrival of the metroline is passengers will use the metro daily and that set to transform the corporate neighbourhood around 60,000 will cross the border between of Keilaniemi – the first residential apartments Photo: ALA Architectsltd

Nordicum 27 are introduced to the area, in the form of four station will be characterised by the prox- Property Development and Citycon are mak- architecturally ambitious towers. In addition, imity of the sports park and versatile sport- ing a genuine “metro centre” here, conven- the shoreline will be opened up to the public. ing opportunities ranging from tennis and iently linking the metro station, bus termi- Moving on to Otaniemi, which is home floorball halls to an indoor ice-skating ring. nal and the shopping centre. Completed in to “innovation university” Aalto, one can ex- Presently, the surroundings of the sta- 2015, the metro centre will also offer apart- pect to see more good things. Aalto Univer- tion are quite raw, offering a wealth of op- ments, a swimming hall and 25,000 square sity is concentrating all its major functions portunities for the development and further metres of new retail space that come with here, with design and business students now construction of the area. The station designs the expansion of Iso Omena. joining the engineer students at the Otaniemi also allow for construction on top of the met- main campus. Here, all students have easy ro station, says Matti Kokkinen. Identity Comes First access to the metro and are only minutes “With residential and business-orient- Looking at the string of stations from Laut- away from downtown Helsinki. ed construction – as well as parking con- tasaari to Matinkylä, Kokkinen and Louko According to Louko, the City of Espoo siderations – we’re talking about a rather are confident that the stations will deliver a is actively involved in developing the Aalto tight package of 50,000 square metres of totally new type of metro experience. University Campus and working together to new construction here,” Kokkinen explains “Each station will have a personality find the best solutions. Topping the things- what’s in the cards for Urheilupuisto. of its own. We have, for example, hired art- to-do list here is a brand new administrative ists to work on the stations with artist Ja- building – realised in the true spirit of Alvar Shopper’s Delight akko Niemelä coordinating the over-all ef- Aalto, of course. Next up: the last stop at Matinkylä. The fort,” says Louko. “The campus area could also feature a dominant feature here is shopping centre Each station gets its very own “desig- lot more residential elements, reaching all Iso Omena, the fifth biggest shopper’s par- nated artist” – or two, in some cases. This at- the way to the shoreline,” Louko says. adise in the land. Matinkylä station will be titude links rather nicely with the World De- The next stop, Tapiola, is undergoing a located on the empty lot at the southern end sign Capital 2012 target of getting more out major beauty treatment as the legendary “Gar- of the shopping centre. of the visual experience. Also, one of the pre- den City” will be returned to its former glory Since Matinkylä is the end of the line, requisites for the designers is “instant recog- – with plenty of new innovations in the pipe- it is a crucial feeder traffic hub which is esti- nition”: sitting in the train, for example, you line, too. The remaking of the community re- mated to be used by over 30,000 passengers need only to glance at the station you’re on volves around the extensive renovation effort daily. In fact, based on passenger forecasts, and know where you are right away. of Tapiola Centre. Energised by the metro- it will be the busiest station of the new line. Obviously the lighting of the stations line, the Tapiola Centre is looking to attract The block where the station will be lo- plays a big role in the eventual user-expe- more customers through better connectivity. cated is owned by the City, and is expected rience. Therefore natural light will be ex- Sports Heaven to witness a boom in complementary con- ploited whenever possible and lighting so- struction. The plan for the block allows the lutions are aimed to promote accessibility After Tapiola, the next stop heading west placement of commercial services, offices and to prevent glare. is Urheilupuisto station (formerly called or even residential buildings. The arrival of The over-all guiding vision here is Jousenpuisto Station) which will be situat- metro is expected to attract both new busi- “metro station as a meeting place” – but ed in Jousenpuisto, on city-owned undevel- nesses and residents here. how this objective is reached, depends a lot oped land south of the local tennis halls. The There’s already a lot going on: NCC on the nature – the spirit – of the station.

28 Nordicum Metro: The Making Of

etro has been a part of the urban proved the proposal for the underground city Testing of the system will take place in 2014 M DNA of the Helsinki Metropolitan plan enabling construction in January 2009 and the west metro will open for traffic at Region since 1982 which was the and Helsinki decided on the underground the end of 2015. year the original metroline started opera- plan in November 2009. The end of the line in the present sce- tions. Running from west to east, the line Construction of the west metro be- nario is Matinkylä, but the City of Espoo is has been expanded many times since. gan in Ruoholahti in November 2009, hoping to continue westward and add five The extension of the metroline to Es- where a metro plan extending from Ruohol- stations. The first of these, Finnoo, could be poo has been on the table from the very be- ahti to Salmisaari shore already existed. An realised even if the additional construction ginning, and the development of the public existing maintenance tunnel in Ruoholahti never takes place. transport system from Helsinki to the west was used for excavation towards Salmisaari. The metroline is likely to grow in the has been studied on numerous occasions Excavation work began in Espoo and east as well. The City of Helsinki has been over the years. Still, nothing happened for in Lauttasaari in Helsinki in the summer planning to extend the eastern metroline all a quarter of a century. 2010. the way to the neighbouring municipality of Finally, the project planning for the The excavation will be concluded in Sipoo. This project could conceivably take west metro was launched in 2007 and com- 2013, and the focus shifts to the building place right after the western project is com- pleted in 2008. The Espoo City Council ap- of the stations and the laying of the track. plete. O

In any case, Kokkinen and Louko promise Presently, Matinkylä is the final stop in Es- Having to stop now and pick up the pieces, that the metro will be a memorable expe- poo, but there is talk about pushing west- say, five years from now, could be costly. rience that ”transcends the basic need for ward, all the way to Kivenlahti. This would “Right now we’re in a great position transportation”. mean adding a stretch of seven kilometers to keep going, and we’re having talks with to the line and realising five new metro sta- the Ministry of Transport to see, if we can Ready for Encore tions along the way: Finnoo, Kaitaa, Souk- build this thing,” says Louko. The City of ka, and Kivenlahti. Espoo is asking for the State to pay 30 % While the construction of the western met- The Espoo decision-makers are eager of the investment, but not right away. The ro advances right on schedule, there are ear- to continue the project on-the-fly, since there government money should come in around nest plans to extend the line further on west. is labour, expertise and equipment available. 2017–2018. Photo: CJN Architects

Nordicum 29 “What we are asking is simply a green station can be added to the core western the metro station: the highest of these tow- light, a commitment from the State.” metroline without much difficulty. At pre- ers could reach 40 stories. sent, this seaside neighbourhood is home to The new-and-improved Finnoo is also Marching Order Needed about 3,000 people, but it has been under- looking to fully explore its access to the sea developed due to water purification activi- in the south. Presently, there is already an In Louko’s mind, building the Finnoo- ties in the area. Now, as the water purifica- active boat harbour – accommodating 1,100 Kivenlahti stretch would give Helsinki time tion plant is shifting operations elsewhere, boats, it is the largest of its kind in the met- to get their plans for Eastern metro expan- there is suddenly more room for develop- ropolitan area – and the harbour concept will sion ready. This means that after the bonus ment – in many fronts. be fine-tuned, as well. With a new focus on stretch west is up and running, the construc- service orientation, the harbour could dou- tion crews could head east and start work Finnoo: Marina City Emerging ble its current boat capacity. in Helsinki. Olavi Louko talks about the “last great “In this scenario, there would be plen- Project Director Torsti Hokkanen from the shore area in Espoo”, promising that the new ty of work for metro construction profes- City of Espoo says that Finnoo could accom- area will be developed with all due consid- sionals in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region modate as many as 20,000 residents (or rath- eration. until 2030, which should make the situa- er, 15,000 inhabitants for Finnoo and 5,000 “We want to build a Marina City, with tion attractive for also international play- for the neighbouring Kaitaa.) According to a definite seaside focus.” ers who don’t want to commit to short-term Hokkanen, the northern part of Finnoo will projects.” be largely defined by the coming metro sta- Pushing Innovation Even if the Government wouldn’t look tion and its surroundings. There are plans favourably upon Espoo’s request, Finnoo which allow for high-rise construction by The City held an international architectural 30 Nordicum LIGHTS

FINNOO MARINA CITY OPEN IDEAS COMPETITION 7 competition to see what kind of ideas would In addition to the shoreline, Finnoo has tative plans for the development of the com- be emerge for the new community. Torsti other natural assets in its disposal, too. A munities along the metroline. Hokkanen says that there were 62 compe- nature and ecology centre could be realised “The interest level is rising in, for ex- tition entries with many solid ideas. In the here in the coming years, Hokkanen says. ample, Kaitaa which is the station right af- end, three entries were selected as the joint “The centre needs to find partners in ter Finnoo,” comments Hokkanen. winner: “Fin-Fin Situation”, “Lights” and order to materialise, but we are optimistic Each of these planned stations holds “Canal Grande”. it can be done.” intriguing possibilities for development: Mayor Jukka Mäkelä comments that The process involving zoning has two for example Espoonlahti is already home to the three winning proposals present the key parts: Finnoo I and Finnoo II. The first part shopping centre Lippulaiva and could con- themes that provide the basis for further de- is already looking for partners to realise the ceivably attract a lot more residential con- sign and planning work. city plan. struction, if the metro shows up on the scene. “When the plan begins to take shape, “With regards to Finnoo II, which con- The new end-of-the-line station Kivenlahti practical cooperation with the actors interest- cerns the western side, the idea is to uti- will pull in feeder traffic from far and wide ed in the area can also begin. The new Finnoo lise wood construction in the making of this – also outside Espoo. will become a sustainable, green maritime area,” Hokkanen says. ”Looking at these five potential new sta- city of international standard for all Espoo tions, it is clear that each could be the centre inhabitants,” Mäkelä promises. The themes Going All the Way for a community of about 30,000 residents,” from the competition that the City is most assesses Olavi Louko. If the metro-makers eager to take forward involve focus on ped- As the Espoo City officials are hopeful that get a ‘Go!’ from the Government, excava- estarian and bicycle traffic, as well as ener- the Finnoo-Kivenlahti extension will even- tion work on the new stretch could begin at gy efficiency and carbon neutral practises. tually materialise, there are more than ten- the end of 2013 or in the beginning of 2014. O Nordicum 31 The Power of Three Tapiola, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi are promising to take innovation to new heights

Combining business savvy with design and science excellence sounds Tapiola Hits 60 like a winning formula – and this is why the “Power Triangle” of three Historically, the best-known of the Big East Espoo neighbourhoods has been such a hot topic of late. Tapiola, Three is Tapiola, the legendary “Garden Otaniemi and Keilaniemi have shot to international prominence all on City” which celebrates its 60th birthday this year. Acknowledged as an iconic blue- their own, but put together they provide a truly unique combination. print for urban living in a natural setting the world over, the area features, as its core, a he triangle is already the most inter- the inherent opportunities here, the City of commercial centre that pioneered the field T national science and innovation ar- Espoo has composed a T3 strategy which in Finland. The community is internation- ea and the largest technology area in seeks to make the most of this perfect mar- ally known as a groundbreaking effort in Northern Europe – and where else could riage. city planning and construction; architectur- you find 5,000 researchers, 110 nationali- The City is also willing to invest heav- ally speaking, the area is held in very high ties and 8,000 jobs in ICT industry within a ily on the triangle: the renewal of Tapiola, esteem, receiving lavish praise also for its 15-minute walk? Otaniemi and Keilaniemi will be the larg- versatility. The success of Otaniemi, Tapiola and est single construction project in the histo- In recent years, however, it has become Keilaniemi improves the entire country’s ry of Espoo. In the coming years, massive clear that The Garden City is in need of a chances in the competition for knowledge- investments to the tune of 4–5 billion euros serious beauty treatment. In fact, the entire intensive businesses and jobs. Recognising will pour into the area. Tapiola Centre will go over a complete trans-

32 Nordicum Photos: SARC Architects

tial use – which has always been a strong be visible. And with the metro, the need for element here – should encompass about cars is minimised. 400,000 square metres; office construction will add another 400,000 and the rest will Aalto University Gaining be divided between trade, education and ser- Momentum vice premises. Next stop is Otaniemi which boasts the “Right now, there is ongoing resi- Finnish version of Silicon Valley, combin- dential construction for 50,000 square me- ing higher education with research and busi- tres which means homes for 1,000 people,” ness. As Aalto University decided to place Mäkinen says, adding that there are numer- its main campus in Otaniemi, the signifi- ous projects that will materialise by 2015, cance of the area rose even higher. Dubbed coinciding with the launch of the metro. as the “innovation university”, Aalto is the The showstopper at this ball will be perfect example of the type of collaboration the new-and-improved shopping centre that between business, hi-tech and design that the will have residential buildings constructed entire T3 triangle is all about. on top of it. According to the plans, the new “Aalto University is a real engine for entity will also feature a park on the resi- innovation, spurred on by the enthusiasm dential deck: “Garden City gone vertical,” of the students,” Antti Mäkinen sums up. in a sense. Established in 2010, the Aalto Univer- “What we will see here is the biggest sity was created from the merger of three construction project in Espoo for 20–30 Finnish universities: The Helsinki School years,” Mäkinen puts it all in perspective. of Economics, Helsinki University of Tech- Respecting the Legacy nology and The University of Art and De- sign Helsinki. With engineering students as Since Tapiola holds such an important place the anchor at Otaniemi, also the design and in the hearts of the Finns, one has to proceed business students are now joining them on very carefully with all upgrade projects. The campus grounds. critics maintain that nothing at all ought to As the “innovation campus” gets go- formation by 2020 – spurred on by the ar- be touched in the community – but Mäki nen ing in earnest, Otaniemi is will add archi- rival of the metro in 2015. points out that the renewal process simply tecturally ambitious landmark buildings in- Project Director Antti Mäkinen is in must be carried out, or the proud commu- to the campus. The newcomers will be held charge of the T3 Triangle Development Pro- nity will crumble to the ground. to the highest possible standard as the area ject and very excited about returning Tapio- “We are preserving the old spirit of has a proud legacy to uphold: the key build- la to her former glory. In accordance to the Tapiola in everything we do,” he promises. ings here have been designed by Alvar Aal- development strategy, the objective is to The new Tapiola will also be even to himself. strengthen the very best values of Tapio la, greener than the old one with dedicated fo- For this reason, an architectural contest uphold the quality of the environment and cus on sustainable development. For exam- was launched to design the core campus for find guidelines for Tapiola’s new success. ple, as the Tapiola Centre is planned as one Aalto, and the phase one of the competition In the process, such issues as structural, so- entity from the beginning, there are consid- was concluded in September 2012. A total of cial, economic and visual sustainability will erable energy savings to be achieved. The 189 accepted entries from around the world be carefully considered. area will also feature a mass district cooling were received by the deadline. Million in the Works system – first of its kind in Espoo. Mäkinen says that the Tapiola Centre Future: The Making Of “Tapiola 2.0” will see a new wave of de- will be a real haven for pedestrians – and, in velopment that will introduce one million fact, the biggest of its kind in all of Finland. Helena Hyvönen, the Dean of the Aalto Uni- square metres of construction. Residen- With underground parking, cars won’t even versity School of Arts, Design and Architec- Nordicum 33 Photo: ALA Architects ltd

ture – and the chairperson of the contest ju- more of them are starting their own compa- large-scale and long-term development pro- ry – says that the University was delighted nies while still in school. ject for timber construction and wood pro- to receive such a great number of entries. Otaniemi creates between 40 to 70 new cessing. One of the goals of the project is “After an initial examination, I can say start-ups every year, pumping new blood in- to turn T3 area into a versatile showroom that their standard is quite high,” adds Hy- to the Finnish business scene. According to for timber construction and wood expertise. vönen. experts, nowhere in the Nordic or Baltic The aim of the competition is to cre- States can one find a “brain concentration” Big Business Boost ate a vibrant and interactive environment for to rival that of Otaniemi. The final piece of the “innovation puzzle” is research and learning activities on Otanie- And there are still people coming in: Keilaniemi, the corporate engine for the en- mi campus where work, study, leisure and Finnvera, Finpro and Tekes – the main fi- tire country. High-rise buildings are pretty living are interwoven in a natural way. The nanciers/experts regarding innovation activ- much the norm here – with headquarters of idea is to create the foundation for “a uni- ities in Finland – will move into a joint fa- such companies as Nokia, Kone and Fortum versity city of the future” right here. cility in Otaniemi. An energy-efficient and in attendance, offering a spectacular sky- The designs should display a dynam- innovative office building will be construct- line to those driving to Espoo from Helsin- ic orientation towards the future with new ed from timber and it will be ready for use ki. The hi-tech corporate neighbourhood is and ecologically sustainable technical solu- in 2015 or 2016. waiting for the metroline to make the lives tions. The objective of phase one was to de- of the employees easier, but the metro ex- sign a functional campus centre that is both Growing Up Fast tension is expected to spark residential con- attractive and lively. The goal of phase two Mayor Jukka Mäkelä comments that hav- struction as well. will be to design more detailed functional ing Finland’s most notable innovation oper- According to the master plan, Keila- solutions for the buildings. ators move to Otaniemi further strengthens niemi will soon feature four housing tow- The area which the competition is tar- a development environment that is vitally ers with 27–35 storeys each, reaching 100 geting is a large square, centrally located important for Finland’s competitiveness on metres. The area in question will include in Otaniemi to the west of the old Helsin- both national and international levels. The almost 80,000 square metres of residential ki University of Technology main building City wants to add to that competitive edge building volume, and will add a complete- (designed by Alvar Aalto himself). The main by developing the area and city planning ly new element to the area, revitalising al- entrance of the future Otaniemi metro sta- in co-operation with Aalto University, the so the shoreline with activities and servic- tion will also be in the competition area. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, es. Furthermore, Tapiola will be linked to The largest user of the new facilities will be and businesses and other actors in the area. Otaniemi in an unprecedented manner as a the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. “It is our aim to create even better “green deck” is used to cover Ring Road I. Hi-Tech Super Hub opportunities for universities, research cen- Figuring out traffic arrangements with tres, researchers, students, start-up compa- metro and the new buildings all at once is no There is plenty of action in the neighbour- nies and growth businesses to grow and go small challenge, but Antti Mäkinen is con- hood beyond Aalto University, as well. Ot- international,” Mäkelä says. fident this will be achieved in a satisfacto- aniemi is the biggest hi-tech hub in Northern It is no coincidence that the new HQ ry manner. Europe with its 32,000 people and 800 com- will be made of wood: recently, the City of “Once the metro is up and running, its panies – meaning that students don’t have Espoo, Aalto University and the Ministry of impact will be held here, too – in a varie- to look very far for jobs. In fact, more and Employment and the Economy initiated a ty of ways.” O 34 Nordicum Suurpelto Gets Going “Community of the Future” rides on a wave of new innovations The City of Espoo has high hopes for Suurpelto, a new community with a fresh attitude. Pekka Vikkula, Project Manager for Suurpelto, says that 2012 saw major development for the area as the number of residents doubled to present 2,000. Photo: Eriksson Architects LTD

lso, we began the construction downtown Helsinki is only a fifteen-min- demonstrated by the electrically charged e- “A for the Opinmäki learning envi- ute drive away. buses which are already being tested,” says ronment,” Vikkula says, adding Nevertheless, despite its urban loca- Vikkula. that the new “learning hill” should really tion, Suurpelto is very much a garden city, The community features also an un- be something to see: a place where the new integrating into Espoo’s broad-spanning derground waste disposal system where the opportunities in education are explored to Central Park. In fact, out of Suurpelto’s 325 residents drop their garbage through a waste their fullest. hectares, 89 hectares have been designated chute and sufficient negative pressure is cre- The Opinmäki concept fits well into for parks and green areas. ated to suck the garbage to a waste terminal. the community’s desire to become a true The master plan for this green commu- From this terminal, waste is delivered on for Living Lab. The idea is to turn Suurpelto into nity is to produce services in new, smarter further processing by trucks. real living lab environment, not just a living ways. The apartment buildings, for exam- “The waste system is the first of its lab for marketing purposes, Vikkula says. ple, feature a designated services space at kind in Finland,” Vikkula explains. The “This means that Suurpelto is just the the lobby, which is both a drop-off and pick- green streak of the community is evident place to pilot new ideas and innovations,” up point for meals, medicine or groceries – also in the construction of low-energy apart- Vikkula says, pointing out that people’s or just about any type of service. ment buildings. movement, for one, is an issue on the inno- “We have studied very extensively what “There is, for instance, a day-care cen- vators’ agenda. types of services are wanted and tested them, tre under construction which fully complies “We are working on car pooling con- too. Presently we are working to make sup- with passive house standards – another first cepts and utilising social media to make ply and demand meet,” Vikkula says, while in the land.” In fact, there wasn’t even a movement easier. This way you can make admitting that the process takes time. blueprint on how to build such a house un- do with fewer cars,” he provides an example. “Still, we are expanding our range and til the Suurpelto project came along. scope of services all the time.” Final Frontier Appeal Nesting Ground Service with IQ Suurpelto is considered to be “the final fron- The daycare centre won’t open its doors un- tier” in the sense that it is just about the on- One of the driving forces at Suurpelto is the til autumn 2013, but there is something to ly remaining strip of land in the core of the union of logistical expertise and operating/ keep the kids occupied until then. An Angry Greater Helsinki Area that enables green- coordinating excellence. The idea is to make Birds public playground was just launched field approach. Located right next to Ring sure that the residents get the service they here, open and free for all. Road II, Suurpelto is within a striking dis- need – when they need it. “It’s been a big hit,” Vikkula confirms tance from the Espoo city centres and even “An important part of this equation is with a smile. O Nordicum 35 Photos: Citycon Big Apple Goes Mega Matinkylä metro station will be the most active station in the expansion line – offering a diverse service package

The coming metro line is causing waves all around Espoo – but nowhere is the excitement more tangible than in Matinkylä, which will be the end of the line for the westbound line. Already a home to the sixth biggest shopping centre in the country – Iso Omena (or, Big Apple, in English) – the emerging metro centre will push the neighbourhood into another level entirely.

uring the coming years, the shopping The development of the metro centre is lot, but at the same time, the plan by NCC D centre will grow immensely, as the a partner effort: Citycon and NCC Property showed a more effective usage of space. As southern end of the centre will wit- Development are in charge of realising the a consequence, the City asked if we could ness the construction of the metro station, high-profile project. Citycon, as the owner combine our forces and develop the project bus terminal and commercial premises. The of the shopping centre, sounds like a natu- together.” bus terminal alone will be a considerable ral choice for the project, but, in fact, orig- project, since feeder traffic will be large- inally the City of Espoo arranged an idea Best of Both Worlds ly directed to Matinkylä as it is the anchor competition regarding the development of station in the line. There will be an expan- the metro station. The finalists were City- Citycon and NCC quickly warmed up to the sion of about 24,000–30,000 square metres con and NCC. Marko Juhokas, Senior Vice idea of partnership and have been working to the shopping centre, meaning that the Big President for Citycon Finland, looks back at on the project together for more than three Apple will get a lot bigger, reaching 75,000 the origins of the project: years now. Jukka Manninen, Unit Director square metres. “The City of Espoo liked our plan a for Retail at NCC Property Development,

36 Nordicum says that the collaboration has been a fruit- ful one: “Working with the owner of the shop- ping centre makes a lot of sense, and we feel that through cooperation the project will be so much stronger in the end.” The compa- nies own the plot in question under 50/50 principle. Matinkylä area is a ”hot zone” in the eyes of the developers and investors, as the urban structure keeps solidifying in the dis- trict all the time. There are about 140,000 residents within the immediate reach of the shopping centre and some of the wealthiest communities in the country are located right here. The purchasing power of the surround- ing communities is around EUR 2.5 billion. Marko Juhokas comments that the ar- ea itself is extremely attractive: “There is a lot of wealth in the area, and a lot of people who are not so keen on going to downtown Helsinki for their shop- ping. We are providing a very appealing al- ternative here,” he promises. Maximising the Magnetic What’s in store for the new and improved shopping centre, then? Citycon has an im- pressive track record of creating great shop- ping centres – with 23 shopping centres in Finland alone – and Juhokas is confident that Iso Omena will benefit a great deal from the upgrade. ”We are committed to making a shop- ping centre where people want to come and spend time because of the enjoyable envi- ty, with, for instance, shopping centre manding puzzle. Still, the men are confident ronment itself – it’s simply the place where under its belt. that the end result will be very smooth, ena- all the action is. The stores then add to that In this case, it all starts with the met- bling easy transition from mass transport to appeal, offering something for everyone.” ro. The first train is expected to arrive to shopping – and vise versa. Juhokas talks about various events and the Matinkylä station by December 2015, “With this project, the metro station happenings to boost the dynamics of the cen- and the development of the centre should and bus terminal add something extra in- tre, as well as refreshing the centre in oth- be complete by then. to the big picture, and we must make sure er way, too. “The metro is at the heart of what we that, at the end, the result is balanced in the “From time to time, it’s good to look are doing here,” Manninen comments. Great right way, equally serving all people,” Man- at the tenant mix and think about ways to connections make sure that there’s plenty of ninen comments. make it even more attractive.” people and activity in the area, and the cen- The City of Espoo has big plans to As Iso Omena has already proven it- tre will blossom into a strong commercial keep developing the neighbourhood, with self as a superstar shopping centre, it is a and logistics hub. a swimming hall and a new school to fol- great option for international retail chains Juhokas acknowledges comparisons to low on the heels of the new metro centre, who are looking to establish a presence in downtown Kamppi shopping centre – where in 2017 and 2018, respectively. According Finland. Juhokas points out that internation- buses to and from Espoo congregate – but to the initial plans, the swimming hall could al chains can start off at Iso Omena and then points out that Iso Omena is, first and fore- have a spa and a hotel as its neighbour, too. spread out to other cities, too, under the City- most, a shopping centre. The grounds around the metro cen- con shopping centre concept they are famil- “With Kamppi, the emphasis is very tre are owned by the City of Espoo, and iar with. much on the traffic, and not always on shop- the City is very much in favour of comple- Best in the West ping. Iso Omena, on the other hand, is all mentary construction in the area. The plan about shopping and spending time in a nice for the block allows the placement of com- Jukka Manninen is in full agreement with environment – and great connections are just mercial services, offices or even residential Juhokas about the pull of the centre: a bonus in this situation.” buildings. “Iso Omena is one of the commercial Juhokas and Manninen believe that all top spots in the country, and with the ex- Demanding Puzzle the players in the area benefit from the in- pansion, the centre will be hard to beat,” creased activity: Manninen says, adding that the metro cen- Nevertheless, when asked about the chal- “As new services, both private and tre will also have a strong visual element, lenges inherent in the project, both Juhokas public, are launched in Matinkylä, the area creating an interesting cityscape. NCC has and Manninen admit that seamlessly link- becomes even more attractive from the point a lot of experience on developing shopping ing various pieces – metro station, bus ter- of view of citizens, companies and inves- centres to serve as the core for the communi- minal, shopping centre functions – is a de- tors.” O

Nordicum 37 New era for Tapiola Centre

Tapiola Centre, the cultural and commercial heart in the City of complement the current service mix,” Im- Espoo, is on the brink of a new era. Along with the new metroline monen lays out the plan. and forthcoming underground bus terminal, the Tapiola Centre area Greener Edge is expected to become the main regional public transportation hub in The new Tapiola Centre will be developed Espoo and one of the biggest in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. according to the latest energy efficiency technology and principles of sustainable development. This is a joint consensus of both LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Man- ew commercial and residential devel- Merituulentie street area at Tapiola business agement Ltd. and the City of Espoo. N opments as well as the revitalisation district. Vesa Immonen, Managing Direc- The extensive renewal of Tapiola Cen- of current properties will make the Ta- tor of LocalTapiola Real Estate Asset Man- tre makes it possible to significantly improve pio la Centre an urban space with compre- agement Ltd., is expecting big things from the energy economy of its properties. A pi- hensive commercial and public services and the future: oneering remote cooling system has been vibrant living environment. The new devel- “The Tapiola Centre keeps develop- designed for the area, and a comprehensive opments will emerge in several phases; some ing intensely in terms of its commercial and energy strategy makes it possible to mini- of the new residential and commercial prop- communal services, traffic conditions and mise the energy loss. erties are already under construction and the living environments,” says Immonen. Immonen adds that side-by-side with new metroline, as well as the underground LocalTapiola Group is also one of the the construction of the Tapiola centre, pro- bus terminal, are expected to be completed most significant property owners in the area cesses for environmental certificates to the by the end of 2015. and remains fully committed to the develop- planned and launched renovations have been ment of the neighborhood which is cultur- initiated and relevant applications have been Great Expectations ally, commercially and historically unique. filed. “Our Group is developing a shopping “This has been done in accordance One of the key corporate players in the Finn- centre of specialty stores into the new parts with the strategy of LocalTapiola Group as ish real estate field, LocalTapiola Group, is of the Tapiola commercial centre, since we a property owner to increase the sustaina- keen on developing commercial premises on firmly believe that the new offering will bility of property use.” O 38 Nordicum Joensuun region www.josek.fi

Best of the Joensuu region

– Penttilänranta HELSINKI STOCKHOLM SAINT The Joensuu region offers everything you need to lead a good life. Situated amidst an PETERSBURG untouched natural environment with beautiful waterways, the region is home to many MOSCOW successful enterprises and offers excellent service provision, a wealth of leisure activities, BERLIN reasonably priced homes, a range of job opportunities and well-functioning transport connections. New opportunities are also opening up in the region. Over the next few PARIS years, a new residential and employment area – Penttilänranta – will gradually develop in the vicinity of the city centre, along the shore of the Pielisjoki River. MADRID ROME In the Joensuu region, modern people fulfi l blocks, two sites have been designated for aimed at expediting the construction work their dreams. Versatile service provision high-rise construction. and fi nding practicable, high-quality, diverse is available close to nature, while well- Wooden blocks of fl ats will also be and innovative implementation solutions. The functioning transport connections and constructed in the area. At the fi rst stage, a Penttilänranta project has also participated excellent service networks make life amidst developer is being sought for the construction in several research projects and received the beautiful, hilly and wooded landscape of a wooden block of fl ats on a plot sized accolades in various competitions. enviably easy-going. The Joensuu region is 3,300 k-m² with building rights for a gross also great for those who engage actively fl oor area of 3,100 m². A developer will later in leisure-time hobbies – here you’ll fi nd be sought for another, much larger project, the full range of possibilities within arm’s 22 000 m² (three plots), with building rights reach. Diverse cultural offerings and exercise for a gross fl oor area of 24,900 m². The opportunities enhance the quality of life. number of fl ats in the fi rst stage will probably Excellent transport connections and a be 40 to 50, and 330 to 350 in the second. In location close to the eastern border bring the fi rst stage, the construction height will be logistic advantages to companies targeting fi ve storeys and four to fi ve in the second. the extensive Russian and Scandinavian Over the next 20–30 years, 1,500 residences markets. Diversifi ed educational and research housing 3,000 inhabitants will be built in activities help companies achieve success in Penttilänranta. the future too. A compact, comfortable, green city Penttilänranta – a trendsetter Diverse artwork is exhibited extensively In between the constructed areas will be parks throughout the Penttilänranta residential A sizeable area with blocks of fl ats, and squares. Building on the shores, easy area, where one percent of the Penttilänranta, is to be constructed in routes, high-quality street areas and open implementation costs of both environmental Joensuu on the shore of the Pielisjoki River. public spaces make the area comfortable and housing construction is invested in art The architecture of Penttilänranta adds a new for everyone. Starting in the planning acquisition. The City of Joensuu acquires art element to the Joensuu city centre. The area is stage, efforts will be taken to minimise for parks and squares while the art in the developing into a desirable, urban residential energy consumption and environmental yards, on the facades and in the stairways and employment area that takes advantage load. Examples of these include light-traffi c of blocks of fl ats is acquired by private of the riverside scenery and is proud of solutions and lighting that utilises the latest home builders. Artists, too, have discovered its history, with exemplary low energy LED technology, along with low-energy Penttilänranta – nearly 200 artists from consumption and environmental load. structural solutions. In many different ways, different parts of Finland have registered with The area to be constructed comprises the Penttilänranta project has sought a new the Artist Bank. roughly 25 hectares, while the area in form of functional culture. its entirety totals around 50 hectares. A planning partnership was tested in !NTTI(EIKKINENs antti.heikkinen@josek.fi Construction in the area is urban and Joensuu for the fi rst time when construction Tel. + 358 50 331 5988 relatively dense in character. Most of the companies were invited to participate in 4ERO4OIVANENstero.toivanen@jns.fi buildings are 4–6 storeys high. In the central fi nalising the draft plan. Early collaboration Tel. + 358 50 310 9779 Reinventing Tikkurila YIT is building an urban power hub in the heart of

The future of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is built upon tracks of steel. In addition to the metro expansion to Espoo, there is another high-profile project in the works. Ring Rail Line will reach north from Helsinki, ultimately connecting the downtown with the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.

Building on Tradition long the way one finds Tikkurila, the all-round development of the area, the right A main urban centre for the City of Van- Director Tapio Salo from YIT says that the planning solutions could be found for this taa. As it stands, Tikkurila Station is company has a long history in Tikkurila – particular case, too. already the third busiest railway station in having been involved in developing the ar- Finally, in August 2012 it was an- Finland, right after Pasila and Helsinki. But ea since 1980’s – and was eager to take on nounced that YIT will begin the work on as the new Ring Rail Line is completed in the challenge again. Around five years ago, the construction of a new office and retail 2014 – and Tikkurila becomes the prima- YIT set out to design a new type of office centre adjacent to the Tikkurila railway sta- ry connection point between long-distance and retail centre. tion – as well as a complex of three residen- trains and the Airport – Tikkurila is likely “The message from the City was that tial buildings to the railway station area. The to take the runner-up position. the profile of the Tikkurila centre needed to total value of the station project is more than With change, comes business opportu- be revamped and we started planning for so- EUR 150 million. nity. The City of Vantaa had been looking to lutions,” Salo looks back. upgrade the Tikkurila Centre for quite some The project was not without its share Two Towers time, as some functions of the logistics hub of challenges, as the site in question is a leave a lot to be desired. At the same time, YIT narrow strip of land located on the north- Tikkurila Commercial Centre brings togeth- was expressing an interest towards develop- ern side of the station. However, building er a lively shopping centre and five office ing the Tikkurila centre, looking at especial- only a few metres away from the tracks is blocks, which contain almost 15,000 m² ly the possibilities inherent in the station area. nothing new to YIT – in fact, the company’s shopping space and over 19,000 m² of unique Finally, YIT came forth with its plans and the headquarters in Käpylä, Helsinki, are simi- office space. In total, there will be 12-floored City got excited about the project. larly located. As YIT was committed to the complex with a separate parking lounge. 40 Nordicum The Centre, scheduled for completion fort to raise an environmentally conscious occupancy by the summer,” Salo says, add- in 2019, will provide all-round service to complex. A gold rating according to LEED ing that this type of high-quality commer- both local residents and travellers. Services (Leadership in Energy and Environmental cial space isn’t hard to fill even during an will include convenience goods and speci- Design) environmental certification system economic downturn. On the office side, the ality shops, a comprehensive restaurant sec- is being sought for the centre. Salo explains numbers aren’t as high but still show prom- tion, the travel centre with ticket offices and that the Gold Level will be achieved by mak- ise: a new local bus terminal as well as a citizen ing greener choices all across the board. “We have leased out around 40 % of services office for the City of Vantaa. Tapio “For example, with regards to air con- the offices, which is good, taking into ac- Salo points out that the improved traffic con- ditioning, we can now control the system count that construction has been underway nections alone are something that makes a more intricately via drives, gaining ener- for only a couple of months.” difference in many people’s lives. gy savings through more efficient planning “We will build the bus terminal in con- and usage.” Getting to Know nection to the railway station and boost the the Property service level for passengers,” Salo says, add- Pedestrian’s Delight ing that finding better, smarter solutions for Ultimately, YIT is looking to sell the centre, public transportation is one of the strong According to the plans, Tikkurila will ex- and preparations are taken to make this pos- suites for YIT. perience a remarkable transformation into sible somewhere down the road. “Handling great passenger volumes an atmospheric walking district. Next to the “We have a concept where we glad- is a demanding task and we want to make city hall – which will also receive a beau- ly serve in a property managerial capaci- transportation as easy and comfortable as ty treatment – there will be a new market- ty for five years, for example, making sure possible,” Salo promises. place, the Tikkurila square and Tikkurila that everything works as it’s supposed to,” park, which will have a playground, skate- Salo says, explaining that the “changing of boarding and parkour areas and space for a the guard” goes more smoothly when there Making Progress stage. In addition, six apartment buildings is accumulated knowledge about the real es- The Tikkurila office and retail centre will be for 500 people, a church and two parking tate. built in three phases, the first of which will garages will be built in the immediate area. “We believe in well planned and exe- be completed late in 2014 together with a What this means is that in the coming cuted running of the properties and are ex- three-storey parking garage for 500 vehicles. years there will be several construction sites ploring new ways to do it better all the time.” “We started the work for the first phase active at the same time – but the end result YIT turned 100 years in 2012, which in part in mid-October and are making good pro- should be well worth the wait. As it turns explains why this company is used to mak- gress with ground work,” Salo reports in late out, phones have been ringing very active- ing plans for the long term. December. All and all, the phase one will en- ly at YIT and interest towards the Centre’s “The development around rail connec- compass 14,000 m² of leasable space. premises has skyrocketed. tions, for instance, has been going on for In addition to championing the cause “In terms of leasable space for the quite some time – and will continue long of mass transport, YIT is also making an ef- shopping centre, we should have a 100 % into the future.” O

Nordicum 41 Reach for the Sky Urban evolution in Tampere brings waterfront appeal, green communities – and spectacular high-rise construction

Tampere keeps growing and attracting people, companies and investments. According to a recent study by Taloustutkimus, Tampere is the best large city in the eyes of the corporate decision-makers. Companies both big and small are especially keen on Tampere’s great location and traffic connections. Also the versatile commercial services were deemed noteworthy.

yrki Laiho, Director of Urban and Eco- tablishing operations in the neighbourhood ry year, the population of Tampere grows by J nomic Development for the City of Tam- bring also new jobs into the region, this is the about 2,000 residents. At the end of August pere, says that Tampere is in the habit first and the most important step on the road. 2012, the population of the city itself was of doing extremely well in such studies, but “If you have the jobs available, every- 216,608, with a total of 360,000 residents in as it is the companies themselves speaking thing else will fall into place,” he describes the whole urban region. their minds, Laiho attaches special value to the philosophy. Laiho says that it is likely that Tam- these particular findings: pere will stay on the growth path for the “We have been working hard to make Green Light for Growth next two decades. Tampere a better place for businesses, and “During the next 20 years, there will be that work is starting to bear fruit,” says The population of Tampere is continuing to 90,000 new residents in Tampere Region,” Laiho who assumed his duties three years grow briskly, but the City is able to respond he says. Proportionally speaking, the in- ago. He is convinced that as companies es- to the increase in demand for services. Eve- crease is bigger than that predicted for the 42 Nordicum Photo: Studio Daniel Libeskind for NCC city’s growth and construction needs. New According to the plans, most of the are- residential areas must be built for the new- na’s facilities are used and open for public comers, and it makes sense to build new are- also outside the time of events. In addition as that are close to existing public and com- to ice hockey games, the arena is a venue mercial services whenever possible. for a wide variety of events, for example In 2013, Tampere is preparing to kick- world-class concerts. start significant projects to energise the city. “The project will solidify the urban The vitality of the downtown area is a key structure a great deal and serve as a major target and the construction of Ranta-Tampel- attraction all on its own.” Laiho is also of la and the linking Rantaväylä tunnel bring the opinion that the changing skyline could something extra to the equation. draw in big international companies into the “We will have ambitious waterfront neighbourhood: the towers would be ideal residential construction right in the centre for headquarter use, for instance. The loca- and 3,500 residents will make their homes tion is clearly a win-win-win locally, region- here, right next to the commercial services ally and nationally speaking. of the downtown,” Laiho says. Laiho describes the role of the Ran- : Green Edge taväylä tunnel as crucial, explaining that it will eliminate traffic bottlenecks and facil- There are things cooking outside the down- itate smoother downtown logistics. Under- town area, too. Case in point: Vuores, a new ground parking is in the cards, too – and it green district to be built in Tampere by 2020, will be realised using a new concept which with residences for 13,500 people. Locat- is more safety and service oriented. ed by the Tampere-Helsinki motorway just “With these changes, the urban envi- seven kilometres from Tampere’s city cen- ronment is transformed, leaving more room tre, Vuores promises to be a combination of for pedestrians and bicyclists,” he says. A high-quality housing and urban greenery. In light rail transportation system is also being fact, from the looks of it, Vuores is one of planned for the city centre. the biggest and most exciting urban devel- opment projects in Finland to be undertak- Architectural Magic en in the new millennium. All kinds of homes, in apartment The real show-stopper, however, is being blocks and terraces, semi-detached and de- planned right next to the train station. In tached houses, will be built amongst small fact, this piece of world-class real estate will lakes and forests. In Vuores, the smooth eve- be raised above the tracks using spectacular ryday life of the residents is combined with deck construction. The vision plan for the ecological housing and transportation, ex- project was made by the American “starchi- plains Laiho. tect” Daniel Libeskind. The idea here is to “Vuores will introduce a variety of new bring cohesion into a city structure divided solutions, such as wood construction on an by tracks, creating in essence, a totally new unprecedented scale in Finland.” The area city district for Tampere. The development utilises cutting-edge technology – such as is a co-operation between NCC Develop- superior wireless connections, automatic ment, Tampere Central Arena Ltd and the underground waste systems and innovative City of Tampere. storm water solutions – to create a strong “This project is a great example that community with a real green streak. you can go forward with high-profile archi- “We are expecting big things from tectural projects, even in downtown areas,” Vuores,” Laiho says. Laiho says, adding that zoning plan is now legitimate. Active on all Fronts Laiho views hybrid construction to be the key here: “For the deck towers, the bot- Other new residential areas are emerging, tom one or two floors are reserved for com- as well. These include e.g. Hiidenmäki at mercial use, and storeys 3–8 for office use. Hervantajärvi and Risso areas, Niemen- On top of this, there will be some 10 sto- ranta at Lielahti, Lentävänniemi areas and Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Laiho notes that reys of residential use. This is an effective Härmälänranta. Conditions for growth in Tampere – as the biggest inland city in Nor- mix,” he says. the number of jobs will be created by zon- dic countries – has a catchment area that is ing plots for other purposes than residen- different from, say, certain coastal capitals. Magnetic Masterpiece tial use in the Lahdesjärvi area, Kolmen- “Our catchment area forms a full kulma at Myllypuro and the Tampere Uni- circle, where as Helsinki forms only half a There will be 60,000 square metres of con- versity Hospital (TAYS) area – thus ensur- circle,” he compares. struction on top of the railroad – and then the ing the right mix.

arena at almost 50,000 sqm, with seats for “We need to utilise complementary Downtown Dynamo about 11,000 spectators. If everything goes construction, but that alone will not satis- well, the first phase of the project could be fy the need for new apartments,” Laiho ex- Tampere is already building the future via ready by 2015 and the whole area would be plains the reasons behind the diverse devel- hefty investments in order to respond to the running by 2020. opment strategy. O Nordicum 43 Innovations: The Great Fire of Turku in 2013 Turku explores the full potential of science parks with network excellence

Turku, the first capital of Finland, Photos: Turku Science Park Ltd has always possessed a business scene that combines diversity and depth. The city was also among the first in Finland to realise the value of clusters and cooperation. Strong clusters – such as biotechnology and world-class marine cluster – have emerged through innovative attitude towards networking.

ere former rivals can often be- “H come colleagues and partners, working together for common objectives,” Jouko Turto, Director of Turku Municipal Property Corporation, explains The other focus area of Turku Science Park, ict, can give a boost just about to any the local mindset. industry, e.g. marine sector and biotechnology. Right now, the talk of the town is the Turku Science Park, one of the largest, old- of existing premises – and there are plans to “Our occupation rate is 95 %, so there est and still fastest growing innovation parks add another 75,000 to create a full-fledged is constant demand,” Lehtinen says, add- in Finland. There are big plans to realise a innovation campus in the most central part ing that the new campus area will only add world-class campus area in the park which of the park. to that appeal: more and more companies bridges the academic with the corporate – “A former industrial area is being flock to the area, creating an incredibly rich and also recreational with residential. transformed into a new type of neighbour- ecosystem. A lot of things have happened, since hood which connects studying, living and the ownership of the park was reorgan- leisure in a novel way. We are working hard ised a couple of years ago. Turku Technol- New Opportunities Emerging to make sure that there is life on campus ogy Properties Ltd. is now taking care of grounds after five o’clock too,” he says. Rikumatti Levomäki, CEO of Turku Science the real estate development of the Science The campus is to include versatile Park Oy Ltd, is confident that the Science Park, serving as an asset manager. Turku green areas and sports grounds, making it Park will thrive in the future as well: Science Park Ltd in turn accelerates the a place where people simply like to go – “There are more and more opportuni- commercialisation of innovations especial- and stay. ties out there, and those who have the abil- ly in selected focus areas, namely biotech- Turku Science Park has a long history ity to move fast are best suited to capitalise nology and ICT. of bringing together academic and business on those opportunities,” he says. Room for More experts, with special focus on biotechnology Jouko Turto notes that Turku Science and ICT. It offers a unique growth environ- Park is really exceptional in the sense that In the whole Turku Science Park area there ment for the commercialisation of research- all the elements needed for successful oper- are over 250,000 square metres of completed oriented innovations and for the generation ations are present right here. The compact premises. Managing Director Mikko Lehti- and growth of enterprise activities related to Science Park area features universities, nu- nen from Turku Technology Properties says high-tech. The area is very much in demand merous high-tech companies and other ser- that their ownership is 85,000 square metres by companies, too: vice providers in a centrally located tight

44 Nordicum mix, within a walking distance from the allow for tailoring of the treatment to serve research platform required for commercial city-centre. individuals better, but at the same time main- success can take 15–20 years to build, but “The success of the expertise networks tain strict privacy protection. then the pay-off can be considerable. of the Science Park has a lot to do with big Rikumatti Levomäki comments that Biotie Therapies leads the way in Finn- players and small players cooperating in new this is one example of information which ish new biotech. Biotie developed Selin- ways,” says Turto. has accumulated over time, but hasn’t been cro, nalmefene, which in December re- This networking also crosses na- put to good use commercially. ceived positive opinion for approval in the tional borders with ease. For instance, the “We are looking to pinpoint other European Union. H. Lundbeck A/S, part- Science Park has a co-operation agreement areas, too, where commercial operations can ner of Biotie, expects to launch the drug in with the German Technologiepark Heidel- be built on existing data structures.” a number of European markets by mid-2013. berg GmbH, one of the best-known clusters Other key R&D areas in biotech in- Selincro will be the first product specifical- of biomedical business and research exper- clude drug development, diagnostics and ly developed to reduce alcohol consumption tise in Europe. In addition, Turku Science functional foods. Specific areas of appli- without the need to completely abstain from Park has a joint venture company, Biocelex, cation include hormonal diseases and can- drinking. “Also diagnostics is in fine form with the world-famous Swedish Karolins- cer, inflammatory diseases, infectious dis- right now,” Levomäki says. ka Institutet. eases, diseases of the central nervous sys- Turto adds that Orion is investing tem, as well as regenerative medicine and heavily in its operations here, pouring ap- Biobankers Get Busy biomaterials. proximately 40 million into the effort. The case with Bayer is even more interesting: Turku has always been known for its prow- Long Time Coming the company received a giant order for new ess in Life Sciences. BioTurku – the clus- kind of contraceptives and two production ter for biotechnology actors in the Turku re- According to Jouko Turto, as many of the plants were set up in the Turku region to han- gion – comprises around one hundred play- Life Sciences companies were launching op- dle the demand. Evidently Bayer was think- ers, including companies as well as training erations 15 years ago, there was a wait-and- ing about putting the other factory some- and research centres. The biggest buzz right see attitude. Breakthroughs in the field take where else, perhaps in Central Europe, but now is biobanks, since the Finnish Parlia- time, and everything moves slowly – at least Turku won out due to its great connections ment passed the Biobanks Act in October to an outsider. and cluster mentality. 2012, releasing millions of tissue samples of “Now we are in a situation where there Turku is also the original home town human origin – as well as health data related are good news coming from Life Sciences to Mirena, the intrauterine device by Bayer. to them – for easier use in treatment and re- almost daily.” Annual sales of the product exceed 700 mil- search purposes. Starting in 2013, biobanks Levomäki shares the same view: the lion euro, in almost 140 countries. Nordicum 45 – can be utilised to improve products and services in various fields,” Levomäki points out. Using ICT or innovative materials, it is possible to make a “tiger’s leap” in pro- ductivity – as many local companies have found out. Back to the Future In this seaside city, people have always kept their eye on the horizon. The City of Turku is trying to look into the future and explore the living trends of tomorrow by creating a new type of residential area in Skanssi dis- trict. Jouko Turto explains that the approach here is rather different: “We are working together with top international companies such as Siemens and Fujitsu to find solutions that are real- istic enough to work.” The seed of the col- laboration was sown three years ago with Turku’s involvement in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Turku was selected – out of dozens of candi- date cities – to participate in the programme. “These leading companies bring sub- stance and vision into the process and the City is committed to see this thing through,” says Turto, while reluctant to use the “Liv- ing Lab” term to describe what’s going on in Skanssi. In his mind, ‘Living Lab’ pro- jects have a tendency to fall short of impact- ing the real, day-to-day life of the citizens: “We are only after solutions that are vi- able and can really improve people’s lives,” he promises. Turku: Recommended for business and living The current situation isn’t bad either: recent study finds that Turku is a very attractive place to work and live. A 2012 Innolink Re- search study reveals that Turku has become The main focus area of Turku Science Park is biotechnology. As a national forerun- the country’s second most attractive place ner, Turku also coordinates the biotechnology cluster of Finland, HealthBIO, com- for business after Helsinki in the opinion of bining all the five biotech centres. 33% of the respondents. Turku also edged Tampere (29%) for the runner-up position in the study. The same focus can also be seen in lo region forms Finland’s strongest ICT ex- A lot has happened in a short time, real estate investments – the ambitious ex- pertise cluster outside the Helsinki metro- since in 2010 only 8 % picked Turku as the pansion of the Turku’s T-hospital started in politan area. most attractive. According to the study, those 2007 and the finishing touches were deliv- As Nokia has been struggling lately, firms already working in the region viewed ered in 2012. The end result is, in all like- many ICT experts have sought employment Turku’s location as a good one and up to lihood, the best, the most versatile hospital elsewhere – or started their own companies. 85 % would be prepared to recommend it. in North Europe. Some of the world’s best Rikumatti Levomäki says that this change In particular, companies appreciate surgical talent is to be found right here, too is felt at the Turku Science Park as well: Turku’s good transport links, skilled and – for example, superstar football player Da- “A new kind of ecosystem is starting young workers as well as the size of the vid Beckham flew into Turku when faced to evolve right now,” he says, adding that market for goods and services. The Turku with a tough operation. ICT is one of those sectors which can give region is also seen as a continually growing a boost to just about any industry. At Turku and developing area. ICT Evolution Science Park, applied ICT is linked espe- In the study, Turku overtook Tampere cially to the social affairs and health sector, as the most attractive place of residence The other strong anchor at the Park – infor- maritime and metal industries, and biotech- from a “civilian” view point, too. Turku’s mation and communication technology – is nology and pharmaceutical industries. Oth- residents enjoy living in the city, and more the second biggest business sector in South- er potent areas include electronics, digital than a third would recommend it to others. west Finland at the moment. ICT has been media and speech and language technology. The residents especially appreciate Turku’s growing continuously and steadily, employ- “In addition to ICT, also material tech- maritime nature, as well as the solid educa- ing a total of 13,500 people. The Turku–Sa- nologies – another strong area here in Turku tion and culture offering. O 46 Nordicum Tap into Travel Invest in Finland believes that there is plenty of unexplored potential in tourism – also from the real estate perspective

One of the sectors which has Photo: Visit Finland really taken off in Finland recently is travel & tourism which still has monster potential. In this field, there are interesting opportunities for real estate investors with big ambitions. As it stands, what the industry often lacks is prime real estate to anchor operations, says Tuija Tommila, Business Development Manager from Invest in Finland. There’s a wave of new construction rising around the country – but room for more, too.

here are various development pro- “T jects around the nation with con- siderable market potential. Invest in Finland is currently mapping out pro- jects that foreign investors and companies can participate in,” Tommila says, adding that the list of prospects ranges from ex- Russian Love Affair Finland: The Place to Be citing theme parks to exotic winter holiday destinations. The “ace in the hole” for Finnish tour- Tommila and Lankinen point out that Finn- ism has been Russian visitors. In 2012, ish tourism is in a very nice position right Nordic Number One the number of Russian tourists reached a now: business is booming, and the Finnish new record, with about 1.5 million over- economy has performed rather well even Hanna Lankinen, Senior Director for In- night stays. Especially the turn of the year with global economic turmoil pressing on. vest in Finland, points out that tourism in- is a hot tourist season as Russians enjoy “Finland is one of the most attractive creased significantly in Finland in 2012 – long vacations at the time. As 2012 eased countries for investment,” Hanna Lankinen even though global tourism numbers are de- into 2013, about 400,000 Russians head- says. The business environment is rooted clining. ed into Finland. Also tax free purchases by on honesty, as the shared number one spot “Tourism has been growing faster in Russian tourists increased by about a quar- on the Transparency International’s listing Finland than in the other Nordic countries,” ter in 2012. for the least corrupt countries suggests. In Lankinen says, adding that Helsinki’s stint “Proximity to Russia is a clear asset addition, Forbes Magazine recently ranked as the World Design Capital in 2012 proba- and Russians constitute the biggest tour- Finland as number 9 on its “Best Countries bly has something to do with this. She lists ist group. They also spend a lot of mon- for Business” list. Finland scored especial- the strengths of tourism in Finland: the coun- ey on vacation,” Hanna Lankinen says. In ly high in property rights (1), innovation (3) try’s location, nature and attractive travel addition to shopping, the Russians espe- and corruption (2). destinations with strong brands. cially value Finland’s security and close- The recent Grant Thornton Global Dy- “Whether you’re opting for a holiday ness to nature. namism Index (GDI) placed Finland even in Lapland, Turku Archipelago or Helsinki, Still, there are other, even surprising, higher, ranking Finland as the second best you know that you’re in for something very opportunities emerging. For example, in- country for dynamic businesses to flourish. special,” Lankinen says. Another booster is creasing numbers of Russian visitors are “Furthermore, business is really easy formation of tourism clusters which means coming to Finland for cancer treatment, to do here, with access to free, transparent more diverse service packages. perinatal services, surgery and dental care. information forming a solid base for opera- Tommila and Lankinen believe that as The demand for Finnish health services has tions,” Tuija Tommila says, adding that or- a whole, the tourism industry is underdevel- been growing rapidly in recent years and ganisations such as Invest in Finland make oped in Finland, which means great growth the market is expected to triple by the end sure that the newcomers feel comfortable opportunities for the future. of this decade. right from the start. O Nordicum 47 Shopping centres are showing Suomen Ilmakuva Oy Photo: Oyj / Versatility in Trying Times

Shopping centres are searching for an identity that allows better “In this manner, very versatile ‘beat- integration into surrounding community. Of the available offering ing hearts’ for the community are created, making it possible for efficient traffic sys- in shopping centres in Finland today, on average 27 % consists of tems to be constructed. As the services im- services, such as cafés, restaurants, movie theatres and fitness centres. prove, also the appeal of the areas – with re- Furthermore, it is no longer rare to find public services such as health gards to housing and jobs – increases and services or libraries inside a shopping centre. a positive development cycle is launched,” Vakula comments.

The Grey Revolution All in the Mix n fact, this seems to be what the gener- I al public wants: a recent study by You- Juha Tiuraniemi, the Managing Director for It is clear from the study that the shopping Gov Finland shows that over half (60 %) Finnish Council of Shopping Centers, points centre is quite enduring as a service concept: of the Finnish population would like to see out that the numbers of the elderly are grow- services are found under the same roof and more public services at the shopping cen- ing – and that they insist on service that is they are conveniently accessible. The busi- tres. More and more, shopping centres are more diverse and quality-oriented than pre- ness mix changes constantly according to perceived as local urban centres and public viously. “A shopping centre is a natural place customer needs. Business proprietors are services seem like a natural addition in this of service, since they are well connected to able to operate ecologically and in a social- setting. The shopping centres even feature the area. It is easy to go to a shopping cen- ly responsible way, at the same time gaining spiritual elements: for example, Iso Ome- tre and the movement inside is safe and un- from the advantages of the mix. na (Espoo) and Columbus (Helsinki) have obstructed,” he says. The public space in shopping centres is their own chapels. The heavy-user crowd – who go to a also finding more frequent and increasing- According to the October 2012 study, shopping centre at least a few times a week ly diverse uses for promotions, events and people from all over Finland welcomed – are most enthusiastic about the introduc- participatory functions. The role of shopping public services in shopping centres, but the tion of public services, but also those Finns centres as living rooms and meeting plac- folks in the Greater Helsinki Region were who very rarely visit the centres wouldn’t es for people is recognised the world over. the most eager to see this happen. Especial- mind public services there. Shopping centres have also shown ly the elderly are keen on accessible public Jukka Vakula, Chairman of the Finnish their toughness in a challenging business en- services: as much as 71 % of the senior cit- Council of Shopping Centers, says that eve- vironment. The economy has been murky izens would like to take care of their pub- rybody benefits in a scenario where servic- for years now, but the October shopping lic services related errands while visiting a es are concentrated in locations where there centre barometer by the Finnish Council of shopping centre. are a lot of people to begin with. Shopping Centers shows sales are up. Ac- 48 Nordicum cording to the barometer, 76 % of the shop- In addition to championing the en- tion over a motorway, linking the formerly ping centre directors report that their total vironment, shopping centres are very im- divided city centre together. The innovative sales have grown from previous year. The portant to their surrounding communities. deck construction will, in all likelihood, be most positive signals are coming from Cafés The number of shopping centres in Finland used elsewhere as well. and Restaurants segment, while Decoration presently stands at 80 and they are impor- and Home Supplies offered the poorest out- tant concentrations of employment: a total Active Year look. of 34,000 service professionals have jobs in In addition to Veturi, 2012 saw the comple- the 3,500 outlets located in these shopping tion of two new shopping centres, Matkus Green Streak Going Strong centres. Furthermore, 96 percent of Finnish (Kuopio) and Willa (Hyvinkää). Of these shopping centres are located in city centres According to the barometer, environmen- two, Matkus is another addition in the TOP or built-up areas. tal responsibility was perceived to be the 10 in the size department: the East Finland most important megatrend in the business Spice Up Downtown shopping center is the sixth largest in the today – so one can expect shopping centres country. In Hyvinkää, the downtown area to keep going green in the future. One exam- With such figures, it is clear that investments received a welcome boost of energy with ple of this trend is shopping centre Veturi in in shopping centres have the power to be the launch of Willa. Kouvola, the seventh biggest shopping oa- a serious driver in, for example, the rede- Last year also held a number of major sis in the land. Launched in September, Ve- velopment of provincial city centres. Dur- makeovers in many existing shopping cen- turi takes pride in its green genes. ing the past few years many towns, includ- tres. Another TOP 10 player in this group is First of all, the environmental impacts ing Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Lahti, Joensuu, Seinä- Iso Omena who made a sizeable expansion. of the shopping centre are assessed using joki, Salo and Rovaniemi, have benefited There was work done in the downtown are- the BREEAM method. A ground heating from the re-energising impact of the shop- as of both Helsinki and Tampere, with ren- system was adopted for Veturi already at ping centres. ovation of City-Center and Koskikeskus, re- the construction stage. Half of the cooling New shopping centres, such as Mik- spectively. and heating power of the shopping centre keli’s Stella and Akseli shopping centres The year 2013 should prove to be a is derived from the ground, and condensa- have brought about a broad-based renewal good one, too, as the expansion project for tion heat derived from the cooling of chest of the city centre, with underground park- Finland’s biggest shopping centre, Itäkeskus freezers is used in the heating of the shop- ing beneath the market square. Also, the ex- (Helsinki) will be concluded. Two other sig- ping centre. The carbon dioxide system of pansion of Stella was successful enough to nificant Helsinki players, and Kan- refrigeration equipment also helps save en- land “Shopping Centre of the Year 2012” nelmäki, will also finish their renovations. O ergy. The shopping centre even features re- honours. charge points for electric cars – and nearly In Hämeenlinna, on the other hand, 200 spaces for bicycles. there is a shopping centre under construc- Sami J. Anteroinen Photo: NCC

Nordicum 49 Rebound City Kouvola is reinventing itself via trade, logistics and a wave of new construction

Rooted on strong industrial expertise, Kouvola Region is driven by an innovative mindset and its excellent location near both Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Presently, there are plenty of exciting things going on in the dynamic region.

alking with Asko Pesonen, Managing harbour in the land, catering to the needs keep going all the way to China, which is T Director for economic development of the major export ports of South Finland. another alluring prospect. “We have the ca- company Kouvola Innovation (Kinno), In the past, Kouvola’s position as the pability to serve as a very effective railway one is quickly convinced that the region is number one railway hub in the land has corridor,” Pesonen says. especially well connected. Located in South- served it well. Pesonen believes that devel- East Finland, it takes little over one hour to oping railway logistics will be a key fac- Ready to Play get to Helsinki by train, and two hours if tor in the future, too. According to plans, you’re heading to St. Petersburg. Kouvo- goods from all over North Europe could be Kouvola stands poised to take advantage of la’s excellent location along the main roads organised here, before they leave the Eu- the emerging opportunities. In the Kouvo- 6, 12 and 15 makes the city the leading dry ropean Union and enter Russia. The tracks la logistics centre area, there are terminals 50 Nordicum these plans is the travel / shopping / congress tage of this opportunity and serve also our centre which will be built just next door to Russian customers. This is clearly a situa- the railway station. According to construc- tion where everybody should assist in get- tion company SRV, the new complex could ting the word out there,” he says, adding that be ready in 2015. the corporate circles and city officials share a common view in this. Quality Workers Available It will take a couple of years before the full impact of the shopping centre can Presently, Kouvola is also the 10th biggest be really assessed, but Heikkilä says that the city in Finland. People here are educated and launch of the centre has been very prom- possess a wide range of expertise. There is ising. also workforce available for new business- There are also plans to add some new es, Simo Päivinen adds. elements into the mix: there’s still 40,000 “There are, for example, a lot of pro- square metres of construction rights left un- fessionals who speak Russian in the region.” touched in the area, with the City and con- Even more important than language struction company YIT as the owners. skills is the presence of strong networks in Kouvola. According to Kinno’s Aleksandra Get the Energy Back Airikainen, for newcomers it is extremely easy to join the local business community. At Kouvola Innovation, the Veturi project “We will help with the right contacts and has been hailed as a real game-changer. After find likeminded partners for new compa- the forest industry setbacks, the region has nies,” Airikainen says. Fledgling companies clearly needed a boost of energy and Veturi have found that Kouvola Innovation is very is providing that spark, says Asko Pesonen. good at eliminating all forms of red tape: in “Veturi is bringing dynamic attitudes just a couple of days, the company is reg- back to Kouvola and paving the way for istered and good to go, with premises and more good things – in the retail sector or bank accounts standing by. “The idea is to elsewhere,” Pesonen comments. make it as easy as possible to establish a Pesonen and his crew have observed business here,” Airikainen adds. the launch of Veturi with a keen eye, since Kinno’s number one mission is to increase Veturi Kicks Off the vitality of Kouvola region. The organi- sation provides all the necessary services for For Kouvola, the biggest buzz in 2012 has companies from under one roof. been the launch of the shopping centre Ve- Presently, there are 4,500 companies in turi in September. With 48,000 square me- Kouvola and about 150 new ones are estab- tres of leasable space, Veturi is the biggest lished each year via Kinno alone. shopping centre in South Eastern Finland. “Regardless of the size of the compa- The builder of the new shopping oasis, Kes- ny, we have a lot to offer to especially inter- ko, had been looking for a suitable place to national companies looking for a great place try out its new shopping centre concept. Fi- to kick-off operations,” Pesonen sums up. nally, the right plot was found in Kouvola and the construction of the 100 million EUR We Can Work It Out shopping centre could commence. Regional Director Timo Heikkilä from Pesonen has cause for optimism for things Kesko says that the Veturi investment is the have a way of working out in Kouvola. single biggest investment that the company Case in point: the Kouvola Region has gone has made in retail business. “We analysed through a massive restructuring effort in re- very carefully the development of purchas- cent years. Six local municipalities (with ing power in the region as well as the future “old” Kouvola as the anchor) joined forces potential. We wanted to bring our very best in 2009 to create a new entity: brand new expertise to Veturi,” Heikkilä says. Kouvola. Among the objectives of the merg- With over 80 stores, Veturi has attract- er, there was increasing the competitiveness, ed a steady flow of customers from the lo- attractiveness and significance of the area – which total 200,000 square meters in size cal community – and beyond. The biggest as well as diversifying the industrial struc- and also a trading, wholesale and customs shopping centre in Southeast Finland clear- ture. centre for international logistics. There are ly has pull. “The idea is to get customers Presently, as the Government is urging already several international companies with from the core area – that is to say Kouvola – sometimes quite aggressively – for neigh- operations in the area, says Simo Päivinen Region – first, and then, gradually, to draw bouring municipalities to merge, it is good from Kinno. “Tailored rail connections can in people from outside the region as well,” to be on the side of the pioneers. be established for logistics players with ease Heikkilä lays out the master plan. “For many such restructuring is still in Kouvola,” Päivinen promises. ahead of them – for us, on the other hand, it For business travellers, the launch of Looking East was four years ago,” says Pesonen. O the fast Allegro connection a couple of years ago has meant that St. Petersburg is clos- “Outside the region” means also “outside er than ever before. Asko Pesonen believes the country” since Veturi is already luring that there is potential to develop that angle in Russian customers in numbers. Heikkilä even further: Kouvola could become a gen- confirms that Russians have taken notice of uine congress city, too. The centre piece of the newcomer: “We want to take full advan- Sami J. Anteroinen

Nordicum 51 Photo: Architects LSV Oy

Success factors of Kujala Logistics Featuring integrated facilities and ser- Lahti city centre just off of the E75 motor- Lahti city centre just off way. Centre include excellent connections via road and rail, ample supporting services, through unified area advantages of synergy structure and availability of land area and re- al estate as well as human resources. In ad- dition, Kujala Logistics Centre has a green Lahti Knows Logistics little north from Kerca we enter into Lah- A ti Region which has a strong reputation as The region possesses a a logistics expert. brand new significant hub which combines great connections with fresh logistics ideol- ogy: Kujala Logistics Centre. vices for operators, the Kujala Centre is lo- cated about three kilometres east of the

One of the areas eager to get a piece of Kerca is an intermodal centre that ef- the new harbour in Vuosaari, slightly east Vuosaari, the new harbour in of downtown Helsinki, has impacted the big picture. Most new logistics centres are Vuo- raised within a striking distance from saari. the opening the pie is Kerca in Kerava.With transpor- the Region’s Vuosaari, of tation and distribution hub is shifting east- wards towards Kerca. Kerca occupies a unique location in relation to main arteries The comple- railway network. and Finland’s will make Kerava an tion of Ring Road IV even more significant location. ficiently integrates road and rail transport. The railway yard, the container and trailer area handling area, and the adjacent terminal form the heart of the centre.

Cluster networking, however, goes be- Cluster networking, however, Nordicum

n the industry, there’s talk of entire lo- there’s n the industry, gistics clusters which have come to ex- companies have seen the ist as different

Finnish logistics centres blossom into true clusters blossom Finnish logistics centres Get Connected value of getting together in the same (more the clus- Within or less) geographical area. regional logistics centres establish them- ter, selves close to local industry and business, while logistics service companies have a more complementary role to play. yond the traditional norm as new forms of cooperation – such as linking the flow of systems – keep goods or building joint IT emerging. Looking at the logistics scene in Finland, it is clear to see that the construction of 52 Kerava Kick Off

The customers demand logistical solutions that are more dynamic and The customers demand logistical solutions As a result, we are seeing logistic centres turn more competitive than ever. into multimodal hubs with emphasis on flexibility. I edge, which is demonstrated by energy effi- Lahti cient solutions and environmentally friend- ly innovations. The construction of the first phase was Mäntsälä completed in 2010 and the entire area should Mäntsälä be concluded by the end 2013. Hyvinkää Logistic sweetspot Ringroad V 4 Kouvola Gaining Momentum of Finland Porvoo Another inland logistics powerhouse can be Helsinki found about 60 kilometres to the east from Hanko Lahti. Kouvola, located in Southeast Fin- land, is the biggest railway hub in the land www.yrityskehitys.net and also a leading “dry harbour” in the coun- [email protected] try. The newest logistics area in the region Tel. +358 400 493008 is Kullasvaara which features 20 hectares of space. Kouvola relies on diversity: customs functions, special warehouses and various New Life for Salo added value services can all be found in the area. The logistics companies in the region and the E18 ring road. The ports of Turku The logistics expertise in the Turku Region want to serve as strategic partners to their and Naantali can be reached by road from will receive a welcome boost, as the Finn- customers, finding new ways to improve LogiCity in about 15 minutes. ish pharmaceutical company Orion is now productivity. LogiCity wants to maximise multi- planning to establish a new packaging and The region is focusing on the Russian modality, creating an environment where logistics centre in Salo using former Nokia transport business with full intention on de- all modes of transport and a supply of ver- premises. veloping the Trans-Siberian Rail operations satile logistics services come together. For Adapting the premises to Orion’s – and looking even further down the tracks, businesses that utilise logistics, LogiCity of- needs is scheduled to start at the beginning all the way to China. fers an operating environment that generates 2013. The packaging and logistics centre genuine added value. should be functioning at full capacity in the Turku Builds Big The Turku Region transport hub is de- autumn of 2014. signed for all companies seeking greater pro- Heading north from Turku, there is Moving on to the west coast, there is Logi- cess efficiency through logistics. This cov- Tampere, the biggest inland city in the Nor- City – currently the biggest on-going logis- ers companies typically operating in, for in- dics. There are plans in the region to make tics project in the land. Located just off the stance, transport and value-added logistics, freight transportation more sustainable and City of Turku, LogiCity is being built in an the distribution centre business, warehous- comprehensive all around the area. Neigh- area bordered by the airport, the railway con- ing and wholesale operations, and logistics bours Valkeakoski and Akaa are among the nection, the motorway into Central Finland functions for high-tech industries. strong logistics players here. O

Ilvesvuori: Great Location, Fast Service

pportunities for logistics are emerg- concept works best if the companies them- According to Leino, there are com- O ing also in Nurmijärvi, one of the key selves participate in the process right from panies representing various fields in the municipalities of the Helsinki Metro- the beginning. area, but the common thread is that they politan Region. The Ilvesvuori area features “The starting point is always the needs all benefit from smart logistics. over 30 companies which employ about of the company. We make it easy to come “For example, for wholesale opera- 350 people. The area located by the Hel- here,” she promises. tors efficient logistics is simply a must.” sinki–Tampere motorway is enjoying strong growth: the current 100 hectare area will re- Schenker Start Smart Choice ceive a 50 hectare expansion by 2015. Pirjo Leino, Business Development DB Schenker’s logistics centre was just Leino says that the troublesome economic Manager for Nurmijärvi, says that the area completed in November 2012, offering a situation hasn’t slowed down the growth in question is one of the biggest business ar- good example of the way how things are at Ilvesvuori: in fact, she points out that ea projects that is under development in the conducted here. Leino says that the plan- companies now have to think very care- capital region. ning for the 25,000 square metre logistics fully about where they will establish op- “For many companies, Ilvesvuori pro- centre took only nine months, as the munic- erations. vides an opportunity that is just too good ipality approached Schenker with a ready- “In this scenario, we have a great to pass.” made plot. chance of attracting more companies, The municipality wanted to attract Schenker was impressed by Nurmijär- since we can offer them the ideal loca- companies with a flexible concept that al- vi’s dedication and drive to get things done tion with full service.”O lows the companies to receive “the full pack- and wasted no time in making the invest- age,” so to speak. According to Leino, this ment decision.

Nordicum 53 Cure for the Common Office Photo: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy Skanska’s new headquarters – first of four buildings – is showing the way into the future

Mannerheimintie – the most high-profile street in Finland – finally has a worthy “gatekeeper,” so to speak. Skanska is raising a quartet of office buildings in the corner of Mannerheimintie and Hakamäentie street, with two buildings already up and running. This visually pleasing entity is known as Manskun Rasti and it is situated only a couple of kilometers away from downtown, featuring superb connections.

BIM Boost hat makes this set-up especially in- ing Director of Skanska Commercial Devel- W teresting is that Skanska built the opment Finland (Skanska CDF), says that Pitkänen’s organisation, Skanska Commer- first building for itself, in an attempt the building has surpassed everybody’s ex- cial Development Finland, developed the to truly dig deep into the best practices of pectations so far. building, which was completed in Febru- a modern workplace. Skanska’s employ- “We have felt right at home here and ary 2012. Skanska House has a total leasa- ees moved into their new headquarters in now, finally, we get the full benefits of the so- ble area of 9,100 square metres, and includes March 2012, and Jukka Pitkänen, Manag- lutions we have been working on for so long.” eight above ground floors centred around 54 Nordicum a glazed atrium and three basement garage levels. Skanska is the owner of the building. In the making of Skanska House, the project team used pioneering 4D Building Information Modeling (BIM) to plan the construction of the project with a delivery timeline. Pitkänen comments that the infor- mation model approach is so versatile that it can improve operations on all fronts. BIM helps to stay on top of the situation – any situation. Looking into the future, Skanska sees BIM being used more and more also in the maintenance of the properties. BIM is also a handy tool in bringing down the carbon footprint – which is anoth- er thing that Skanska Commercial Develop- ment Finland is in the habit of doing. Skan- ska House received the LEED (Leadership tem, providing greater ventilation than is re- has faith, instead, in the possibilities offered in Energy and Environmental design) Core quired by LEED certification. And this little up by the new mobile ways of working. & Shell Platinum certification, and is look- fact may surprise you: looking at energy sav- “Remote working serves the needs of ing to receive the EU GreenBuilding certi- ings, the greatest boost comes, in fact, from the individual team member, but might be fication, as well. cutting-edge air conditioning technology. bad for the team,” he says, adding that of- The trick lies in using bigger air con- fice interaction is hard to replace via oth- Platinum Business ditioning machines that are able to put out er means.

For Skanska, this is nothing new as such. a lot of air – at slower speeds. Additional- Skanska CDF’s very first project, Lintulahti ly, there are sensors that estimate the need Bicyclemania office building in Helsinki, received a Plati- of air conditioning for employees: for ex- num Level LEED certificate already in 2010 ample, the system diminishes the air flow Getting to work in the morning, however, is for Core & Shell. The occasion marked the when workstations are unoccupied and en- rarely as easy as is the case with the Skans- first time an office building project in Eu- hances it again when the employees are pre- ka House. Skanska House has great access rope achieved such a feat. sent. The result is better working conditions to Helsinki’s public transport network, in- Securing Platinum for Skanska House for the employees and energy savings for the cluding several bus routes, train and a tram- was not a walk in the park, however, since tenant company. line. Showing that green streak again, there LEED requirements keep tightening up – as are charging points and priority parking they should be, Pitkänen points out. Choose Your Space for electric vehicles available, and Skans- “We, as an industry, must continue to ka even offers one electric vehicle and two Skanska House is a great example of to- regular vehicles that employees can reserve challenge ourselves in the arena of sustain- morrow’s office space, designed to be both able construction.” through a company car share scheme. Still, functional and flexible in order to meet the the rave during the summer months was bik- Skanska House certainly delivers the requirements of present and future tenants. goods, using around one third less energy ing, Pitkänen reveals: “The street level bicy- Flexibility, Pitkänen observes, is one of the cle parking hall is really something to see.” than the Finnish energy code requires. The keys to a longer, more useful lifespan. building has been also equipped with the With winter pressing on, public trans- “At Skanska, we talk of ‘activity-based portation becomes a better solution – and necessary infrastructure to accommodate a workplaces’ and work hard to develop so- photovoltaic solar system in the future. there are buses going past Manskun Rasti lutions for the new ways of working.” Pit- almost every minute, to all directions, dur- In addition, Skanska House uses känen points out that Skanska House fea- around 50 % less water than a typical Finn- ing office hours. Especially the connections tures different types of zones to meet the to the Pasila traffic hub (with ample access ish office building and it features with a changing demands – there is designated rainwater harvesting system that collects to trains, too) have been found to be very space for working alone in peace-and-qui- convenient, indeed. water for toilet flushing and car washing. et as well as comfortable areas for a brain- The office spaces are designed to promote storming session, and a lot in between the Eager to Continue healthy working environments and a long two different areas. useful lifespan through functional and flex- The building provides modern office As the second building at Manskun Rasti ible design. spaces with state-of-the-art IT and commu- was completed in the summer of 2012, the Smart, Healthy & Green nications infrastructure. The office floors “Fantastic Four” of Mannerheimintie is half- are planned open to allow tenants easy cus- way there. Pitkänen is hopeful that the con- While in the subject of healthy working en- tomisation of the office space to suit their struction for tower number three – the tall- vironments, Jukka Pitkänen says that the requirements. Skanska has also compiled est of the bunch with 12 floors – could kick Skanska House is, in many ways, an em- tenant design and construction guidelines, off in summer 2013. bodiment of the future Skanska envisions which aim to facilitate building redevel- “We see no obstacles for the launch for office dwellers. Let’s start with the win- opment and upgrade work that future ten- of construction for neither building num- dows: Skanska House is extensively glazed ants might undertake – all in line with the ber three or four,” he says, adding that atten- and the windows have been positioned to 125-year-old company’s commitment to the tion has been growing gradually as people optimise the amount of natural light enter- long term. have taken notice of the first two buildings. ing the building. One of Pitkänen’s key messages is that “We have had a constant flow of vis- With regards to air conditioning, Pit- the face of work is changing – and it can be itors who are very interested in seeing the känen explains that the building is equipped changed for the better. Still, he is not a big new buildings, and all of them have been with an outdoor air delivery monitoring sys- believer in remote working from home, but very impressed,” Pitkänen says. O Nordicum 55 Perfect Match Design and environmental approach boost businesses in Lahti

Lahti is a growing city in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. In the coming years, Lahti will invest significantly in the development of the city and its infrastructure. “Green Crocodile,” the winner of a recent urban development competition, is but one example of these plans.

Coming off a stellar World Design But how did Lahti become such a pow- In addition to the companies them- Capital year in 2012, the City of Lahti erhouse in the fields of both design and selves, there is academic muscle in the mix cleantech? The answer has a lot to do with as well, with the esteemed Institute of De- is eager to keep exploring especially strong traditions –in both cases. For exam- sign (today a part of Lahti University of Ap- the business opportunities inherent in ple, no other city in Finland can claim such plied Sciences) leading the way. The newest the world of design. Jyrki Myllyvirta, a strong legacy in design, with a foundation player in the field is Finnish Design Foun- Mayor of Lahti, points out that focus that was laid already in the 1930’s with the dation, established in 2009. The Lahti-based emergence of world-class furniture indus- foundation supports design-related research, on industrial design was a part of try. Lahti is clearly the centre of the Finnish education and development in Finland with the City’s strategy long before the furniture industry, with approximately half special focus on SMEs. “We find that es- WDC2012 designation, but the year of the employees in the entire sector work- pecially small and medium size companies ing in the region. benefit from the activities of the founda- has certainly served as a catalyst. tion,” Myllyvirta comments. Get to the Core The Green Break yllyvirta also observes that design Industrial design is embedded into the way M has something in common with an- local companies do business – and bene- How about cleantech, then? How is it possi- other strong area of the city: clean- fits have been considerable even in indus- ble that Lahti has become “the place to be” tech. “Both design and cleantech have the tries where design is often considered a mere for cleantech companies in Finland – and in- potential to boost operations in just about afterthought. For example, local maker of ternationally recognised for its efforts in the any sector. These are not niche areas, but state-of-the-art welding equipment, Kemp- environmental sector? According to - instead, subscribe to a more holistic ap- pi, has consistently improved its user-friend- virta, the answer has something to do with proach,” he says. liness via design innovations. a green streak that is evident in the think- 56 Nordicum ing networking facilitator in cleantech sec- railway station into a “modern travel hub” tor in Finland. where train and bus connections merge. The Finnish Cleantech Cluster has al- Already in the area, there is, for ex- ready helped to create over 500 new green- ample, the Asko business area, which has collar jobs and dozens of new internation- proved the attractiveness of the neighbour- al business opportunities for Finnish clean- hood. According to Myllyvirta, it is not hard tech companies. In recent years, the clean- to see why companies find this area appeal- tech sector in Lahti has been growing rather ing: it’s only a couple of minutes’ walk to the nicely, with special expertise to be found in train which can take you to Helsinki with- e.g. public water system maintenance, inter- in the hour – or to St. Petersburg in just a national projects, soil treatment, waste man- couple of hours. agement and recycling. “In the future, all development will be focusing on connections more and more. With this trackside construction, we are very Call of the Tracks much tapping into that growth potential.” Mayor Myllyvirta is of the opinion that even Crocodile Campus as various types of companies have made Lahti their home, there will be even great- To boost the development, the City set up er attraction in the future as central areas a World Design Capital 2012 architecture around the railway tracks will receive a to- competition for the development of the tal makeover. Starting with the vicinity of trackside – the contest in question was, in the train station, these grounds represent the fact, the single largest architectural compe- most significant development opportunity tition launched during WDC2012. In the of this decade – and the next one, Mylly- competition, also the citizens were asked virta believes. for their opinions, as citizen participation “As we are effectively connecting the is deemed to have a central role in the plan- area by the tracks to the downtown, there will ning of the area. Citizens, with widely var- be plenty of synergies to be enjoyed and the ying viewpoints, were included in the gen- urban structure will become so much more eration of ideas for the area from the start. diverse.” According to the plans, the emer- Ultimately, the winner of the competition gence of diverse business premises and resi- was architecture agency Ajak with its plan dential units will help turn the environs of the ‘Green Crocodile’.

ing of the natives – the City of Lahti was among the first to have a municipal board of environment, for instance, and attention paid to waste management and recycling has been noteworthy also in international com- parison. Against this background, it is no won- der that ten percent of Finnish environmental business operations are located in the Lah- ti Region, along with a strong environmen- tal Business Park and three universities with their own environmental units. As it stands, Lahti Region is Finland’s most important regional cluster for research, education and business in the field – and it has been mak- ing waves internationally, also. In fact, a couple of years ago, Danu- ta Hübner, the EU Commissioner for Re- gional Policy, hailed the Finnish Cleantech Cluster and its coordinator Lahti Develop- ment Company LADEC as a model exam- ple of concrete results achieved with the help Jyrki Myllyvirta, Mayor of Lahti, says that Lahti is a great match for companies of of EU funding. Today, LADEC is a lead- all sizes. Nordicum 57 Designing Success Lab Power

ore and more, companies amboll Analytics is M are integrating design into R another player that has their activities. Lahti- found Lahti to be a based designer Tapio Anttila says very attractive combination. that companies in the region have Ramboll’s environmental been among the first to embrace laboratory – the biggest in the design and fully explore the land – is located here. Pentti possibilities therein. Anttila also Manninen, Director of Water points out that Lahti was a very and Environmental Division at committed participant of the Ramboll, says that Lahti is a World Design Capital 2012: great base for operations. “Lahti gave a very well “Pretty much everything balanced programme and did very is within a two hour drive, so well,” he feels, adding that the we can go on location to do importance of design is already some research and get home understood in the region and its the same day,” he offers an role will only grow in the years to come. example. Anttila notes that encompassing design in industrial functions Ramboll Analytics has thrived in Lahti, with about 90 is a long-term project. In Lahti, however, the ground work has been people working for the company right now. The laboratory – laid decades ago and designers can find local companies that are with almost 2,000 square metres of space – is in fine form and receptive to their ideas. business is booming. “For a designer, Lahti is a great place – there are strong “We have been able to enjoy steady growth, even during the networks and opportunities for collaboration here,” says Anttila recent years, when the economy has been troubled,” Manninen whose design projects have garnered also international attention. says. Lahti has proven to be a great match for Ramboll, partly due Anttila points out that Lahti itself is an international city – if he wants to the city’s long traditions in laboratory activities. Still, there’s to go to, say, Milan to meet colleagues, the international airport is room for more: Manninen is hoping for players from the same an hour’s drive away. field to establish operations in the region. Anttila’s repertoire includes interior design regardless of the “That way, we would get even more opportunities for scale. In 2012, Anttila won the national Furniture Designer of the networking and various collaboration projects.” O Year honours. He launched his own company in 2005 and has clearly enjoyed himself: “In Lahti, it is very helpful that everyday life rolls www.ramboll-analytics.fi so smoothly – there are no traffic jams, all the services are nearby and there are great outdoor activities,” he lists. O www.tapioanttila.com

There are plans to build 105,000 floor square metres of business and office space here, with 22,000 floor square metres re- Lahti Fast Facts served for services. In total, the area could feature development to the tune of 332,000 ‡ 7KHVHFRQGJURZWKFHQWUHLQWKHPHWURSROLWDQDUHDRYHU inhabitants in the city, 200,000 in the Lahti Region floor square metres. Myllyvirta says that the ideas from the ‡ 6WURQJFRUSRUDWHQHWZRUNVDQGVSHFLDOH[SHUWLVHFOHDQWHFKGHVLJQ well-being winning entry – as well as others, too – will be utilised in the making of the zoning plan. ‡ &RPSHWLWLYHFRVWOHYHO “We welcome all ideas since this is a truly ‡ 6NLOOHGZRUNIRUFHDYDLODEOH historic opportunity for the whole communi- ‡ ´8QLYHUVLW\KXE´IRUPHGE\IRXUDFDGHPLFDFWRUV ty and we want to get it right the first time.” ‡ /RJLVWLFDOO\XQPDWFKHG±OHVVWKDQDQKRXUDZD\IURP9XRVDDUL Harbour and international airport Action All Around ‡ *UHDWURDGDQGUDLOFRQQHFWLRQVWR+HOVLQNL±WUDYHOWLPHDVOLWWOHDV 48 minutes Another thing that Lahti is keen on is de- ‡ )DVWWUDLQFRQQHFWLRQWR6W3HWHUVEXUJ±HYHQKRXUV veloping tourism. New kinds of services ‡ 9HUVDWLOHEXVLQHVVSUHPLVHVDQGFRUSRUDWHSORWRIIHULQJ are in the works along the Lake Vesijärvi, ‡ *UHDWKRPHIRUSHRSOHDQGFRPSDQLHVDOLNHZLWKH[WUDIRFXVRQ for example. Teivaanmäki and Mukkula are leisure among the key areas for development and the Skiing World Championships – hosted in Lahti in 2017 – are sure to peak the in- LADEC terest level. Myllyvirta points out that Lahti has a Lahti Development Company LADEC provides comprehensive services long history as “Event City” and very much to support businesses locating to Lahti. wants to stay that way: “For any success- ful city, high-profile activities are key in in- www.ladec.fi, [email protected] creasing the appeal of the community.” O 58 Nordicum Annual Convention 2012: Listening to the Client Takes Center Stage

Annual Convention 2012 gathered real estate professionals to Hämeenlinna, Finland, in November. Over a period of two days, the seminar participants got to hear many insightful presentations ranging from macroeconomic outlooks to zoning and land use policies. The theme at Aulanko Conference Center was to find “The Way Forward” after four turbulent years in the global economy. One of the ways to secure that future involves putting the customer back in the driver’s seat and asking him what his needs are now – and in the future.

hanges in organisations’ strategies and is becoming a bona fide work environment Bergman talked about encouraging a C space preferences – together with con- and facilities expert. As a result, also gov- “random element” which makes people run tinuously developing office technolo- ernment employees are seeing fashionable into each other and come up with new ideas. gy solutions – create increasing challeng- work space concepts – such as ‘the lounge’ Thinking along those same lines was Sami es for the physical working environments. pit stop for officials-at-large. Oinonen, the head of + Studio, which is a Hel- It used to be that only the so-called creative Still, Sarjo commented that the real es- sinki downtown “co-working space for crea- forerunners would embrace radical chang- tate industry has a lot of work to do with re- tive minds”. The idea of + Studio is to pack es in this regard, but now just about every gards to connecting with the customer. “At the house with creative people and watch the organisation is looking to boost productiv- present, the two sides do not always speak sparks fly. ity through workplace and property man- the same language. The customer is not that “Ideas are networks,” he said, meaning agement. keen on buildings – it is good working envi- that as people seek opportunities in networks, Hanna , Managing Director for ronments that he is interested in.” also ideas mingle with others and business KTI Property Information, observed that prospects may arise down the road. At + Stu- during recent years more and more empha- Quest for the Perfect Office dio, one does not need to have all the answers sis has been placed on improving the work – or even the questions. There is normally Tytti Bergman, HR Director from Microsoft environment and the way things are done in someone just around the corner who can help. Finland, has been very much in demand over and out of office. “These are trends which the past two years as everybody has want- have only been gaining momentum of late,” Make It Easy ed to ask her all about Microsoft’s new of- she said. fice concept. Bergman reports that the new Bringing a retail perspective into the dis- Get the Right Tools premises have hosted 40,000 visitors since cussion, Director Jarno Kivinen from Kes- their 2010 launch. ko Food noted that for the customer the fun- Jari Sarjo, Managing Director for govern- According to Bergman, the new con- damentals remain unchanged: when it comes ment-owned Senate Properties, said that also cept is very much rooted on individual free- to grocery shopping, you want to go where it the public sector needs modern workspace. dom to choose – you can work where you is easy to do shopping. “The customers also “As streamlining takes place in many want (and, in fact, the employees do not have want to be able to access information about organisations, it is important to learn to use designated work spaces any more). “New the products before their visit to the store – space more efficiently,” he said, adding that take on cooperation, inspiration, flexibility and also during and after the visit.” O this situation has kicked off an intriguing and appeal was also high on our list as we transition as the former “property manager” honed our concept,” she said. Sami J. Anteroinen Nordicum 59 Opportunities for the brave? Janne Larma advises property investors to look beyond Helsinki Metropolitan Area

No area of the property market is safe from the economic uncertainty which continues to press on. As the supply fails to meet the demand, transactions in the market take time to materialise. The summer of 2012 offered a ray of hope with a few promising transactions, but the rest of the year showed that there was really very little to be optimistic about.

60 Nordicum Photo: Sini Pennanen are even competing for these assets,” Lar- total area of 50,000 square metres, have been ma says, adding that especially the foreign redeveloped into hotels in Helsinki. Some investors are keen on prime properties – but offices have also been transformed for res- also the long-term lease contracts are high- idential purposes, and, in a couple of cases, ly attractive. This trend, however, is not that properties have been demolished. much different from what the domestic play- ers are doing: Flooding the Market “Also the majority of domestic inves- According to KTI Finland, there were tors is preferring properties in the capital 230,000 square metres of office space un- region or in the best spots of the biggest der construction or major redevelopment in growth centres.” the Helsinki metropolitan area in late 2012. New offices are being built in, for example, Also-rans in Trouble Töölönlahti in the downtown area. Also, the According to Larma, it is considerably hard- two major rail projects, namely the expan- er to get the investors excited about prop- sion metroline to Espoo and the Ring Rail erties that are not top quality and of opti- Line to the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport are at- mal location. tracting office construction. Redevelopment “Due to this development, I feel that is impacting areas around downtown, as well the yield gap between prime real estate and as Ruoholahti and Kamppi, both very cen- other properties has become too wide. As a trally located, too. result, we perceive that investors now have KTI records show some that some a chance to make great deals by taking on a 170,000 square metres of office space was bit more risk and investing outside the Hel- completed in 2012 and these properties are sinki Metropolitan Area,” Larma says. viewed to be quite attractive from the point In the present situation, Finland is bet- of view of especially those companies who ter off than many – or even most – Europe- have not been seriously impacted by the an economies. Finland is one of the last EU troublesome economy. countries in possession of AAA rating, and On the other hand, as a wave of new has made a name for itself as the “Germa- construction is now complete, outlook for ny of the North”. brand new development projects isn’t look- Larma perceives another strong asset ing so great. The economic woes are de- that the Finns have: the rents have stayed creasing construction activity both in res- stable and vacancy level has not become idential and commercial property markets. a big problem even during the most acute Retail is feeling the sting, too – while this phase of the financial crisis. “In many oth- year saw the launch of two TOP 10 calibre er European capitals, the economic turmoil shopping centres, namely Matkus (Kuopio) hit much harder.” and Veturi (Kouvola) – the attention turn from new construction to redevelopment now. Major redevelopment projects are un- Hold the Line der way in e.g. Forum, Itis and Ruoholahti Larma notes that especially the commercial shopping centres in Helsinki, as well as the and residential property markets have been Tapiola commercial centre in Espoo. going quite strong and rents have even in- creased during the crisis. Finland: Back on the Radar “This goes a long way to add stability All and all, Janne Larma believes that there and decrease the risks of the investors. Also are good opportunities out there, and seri- the companies’ balance sheets are solid and ous investors are starting to turn their focus, the development of profits is quite good.” more and more, to real estate again. Finland, Still, the vacancy rate for offices in the often seen as a fringe area, will catch the at- Helsinki metropolitan area is likely to in- tention of the international players with in- crease since there are a lot of new proper- creased frequency then. ties coming to the market. An exodus from ”During the final months of 2012, we less-than-prime real estate may well be in have witnessed ambitions to increase risk the cards in the near future, which leaves the levels on the stock and interest markets and property owners with a dilemma: is the prob- this trend should carry on to the property lem cyclical or structural? In the first case, investors’ side. Properties in Finland offer the improving economy will fix the situa- higher yields than in many other countries, anaging Director Janne Larma from tion eventually, but if an aging property is for example Sweden.” M Advium says that the prevailing sen- deemed obsolete the high vacancy rate may Larma notes that this development timent on the property investment become a permanent problem. should soon be reflected on the transaction market is pretty much the same as that of In this set-up, many owners of office volume. He sees some signs of life on the other investment markets: investors shun properties are forced to evaluate, if it is pos- real estate finance market, as well: away from risk, whenever they can. sible to redevelop the property into some- “Some international banks, which “The biggest challenges have to do thing else altogether – or, alternatively, if the made their exit from Finland around 2009– with low investor demand,” he says, while property should be demolished, even. KTI 2010, have again announced their willing- making one exception to the rule: “Prime Finland observes that during the last five ness to finance real estate transactions in real estate is still doing well and investors years, around ten office properties – with a Finland.” O Nordicum 61 COMPANY BUSINESS CARDS Photo: Helsinki City Planning Department ADVIUM CORPORATE FINANCE NORDICUM REAL ESTATE Mannerheimintie 14 A, FI-00100 Helsinki, Finland Phone +358 9 6817 8900 Company Business Cards Fax +358 9 6817 8950 www.advium.fi Contact Persons Mr Janne Larma, Managing Director [email protected] Mr Antti Louko [email protected] Mr Samuel Granvik [email protected] Mr Petteri Kokko [email protected] Mr Lauri Tiensuu [email protected] Specialty Areas Advium Corporate Finance Ltd is a leading Finnish corporate finance advisor in the major real estate transactions and one of the leading M&A advisors in Finland. Since its foundation in 2000, Advium has advised in

more than 100 transactions with a deal value in excess of 9 billion euro. See pages 3 and 60

CITYCON OYJ CITY OF ESPOO

Korkeavuorenkatu 35 P.O. Box 42, FI-02070 City of Espoo, Finland FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland Phone +358 9 81 621 Phone +358 207 664 400 www.espoo.fi Fax +358 207 664 499 [email protected] Contact Persons www.citycon.fi Jussi Eerolainen Chief Real Estate Officer Contact Person [email protected] Hanna Jaakkola Antti Mäkinen Investor Relations Officer Project Manager, Tapiola [email protected] [email protected] Pekka Vikkula Specialty Areas Project Manager, Suurpelto Citycon is a property investment company which concentrates [email protected] exclusively on retail premises. It owns, leases, manages and Torsti Hokkanen develops its properties and plans and commissions the construction Project Manager, Espoo Centre of new premises. Citycon operates in Finland, Sweden, and the [email protected] Baltic countries. The company owns a total of 32 shopping centres Matti Kokkinen and 53 other retail properties.The fair value of the company’s entire Project Manager, Westmetro [email protected] property portfolio on 30 September 2007 was EUR 2,191.2 million. See page 36 See pages 6, and 26, 32 35

CITY OF HELSINKI CITY OF TURKU MUNICIPAL PROPERTY CORPORATION P.O. Box 20 FI-00099 City of Helsinki, Finland P.O. Box 355 Phone +358 9 310 70233 (Puutarhakatu 1) Fax +358 9 3103 6254 FI-20101 Turku Finland Contact Persons Phone +358 2 330 000 Hannu Penttilä Fax +358 2 262 7229 Deputy Mayor, City of Helsinki, City Planning and Real Estate [email protected] [email protected] Jaakko Stauffer Contact Persons Head of Real Estate Department Jouko Turto [email protected] Managing Director Nyrki Tuominen [email protected] Director, Business Development Petri Liski [email protected] Real Estate Development Manager [email protected] Specialty Areas Further Information www.hel.fi/taske Urban Develoment

www.hel.fi/ksv City Planning Projects See page 21 See page 44

1. Air Transport 4. Freight Forwarding 8. Parcel Pick-up and Delivery 12. Sea Transport 2. Customs Services 5. Freight Insurance 9. Port Services 13. Shipping and Chartering 3. Dangerous Goods Management 6. Information Logistics 10. Rail Transport 14. Warehousing 62 Nordicum 2013 7. Material Handling 11. Road Transport 15. Other Logistics Services & Consulting INVEST IN FINLAND JOENSUU REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY JOSEK LTD Porkkalankatu 1 FI-00180 Helsinki, Finland Länsikatu 15 Phone +358 204 695 555 FI-80110 Joensuu Fax +358 204 695 201 Finland [email protected] Phone +358 207 218 770 www.investinfinland.fi [email protected] www.josek.fi Contact Persons Maria Arruda Contact Person Director, Marketing Communications Anne Mujunen [email protected] Marketing Manager Tuija Tommila [email protected] Manager, Business Development [email protected] Specialty Areas JOSEK serves all companies in the Joensuu region, from start- Specialty Areas ups to established enterprises developing their operations. Invest in Finland is a government agency promoting foreign The business consulting service also assists enterprises and investments into Finland. We assist international companies in organisations seeking to locate in the Joensuu region. We offer finding business opportunities in Finland and provide all the relevant our services free of charge. See page 39 information and guidance required to establish a business in Finland. See page 47

LAHTI DEVELOPMENT COMPANY NCC PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT OY LADEC LTD P.O. Box 13 (Mannerheimintie 105) Lahti Science Park, Niemenkatu 73 FI-00281 Helsinki, Finland 5th floor of D building LADEC Phone +358 10 507 51 FI-15140 Lahti, Finland Fax +358 10 507 5318 Phone +358 3 811 411 [email protected] www.ladec.fi www.ncc.fi Contact Person Miika Laakso, [email protected] Contact Person Phone +358 40 547 7160 Tero Estovirta, Managing Director NCC Property Development Finland Specialty Areas [email protected] The Lahti region is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The City of Lahti has more than 100 000 inhabitants and the province 200 000 inhabitants. The location of the Lahti region is ideal in relation to southern Finland’s population and Subsidiaries & Representatives business clusters; half the population of Finland lives within 2 hours of Lahti. Lahti Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Baltic countries and St. Petersburg Development Company LADEC is developing rapidly and offers many Lahti based companies a platform to grow their business, a gateway to international markets Specialty Areas and the chance to co-operate with universities and research organizations. Clean NCC Property Development develops commercial properties in technologies and industrial design are our main focus areas. LADEC provides also defined growth markets in the Nordic and Baltic countries and comprehensive services to support businesses locating to Lahti. At the first stage, our experts give tailored and individual assistance to help companies find the St. Petersburg. NCC creates future environments for working,

suitable business premises or industrial land in the Lahti region. See page 56 living and communication. See page and 36 back cover

NURMIJÄRVI MUNICIPALITY SEINÄJOKI REGION BUSINESS SERVICE CENTER P.O. Box 37 (Keskustie 2 b) FI-01901 Nurmijärvi, Finland Tiedekatu 2 Phone +358 9 250 021 FI-60320 Seinäjoki Fax +358 9 2500 2010 Finland Contact Persons Phone +358 40 760 3907 Aarno Kononen, Development Director, [email protected] Fax +358 9 4162 089 Pirjo Leino, Company Development Manager, [email protected] www.investinseinajoki.com Specialty Areas Contact Person Nurmijärvi municipality- vitality and space for living – is a part of the Mrs Elisabet Kivimäki expanding Helsinki metropolitan area. Road connections to Helsinki and [email protected] Stockholm and St. Petersburg economic areas are good and the adjacent Helsinki Vantaa airport and Vuosaari harbour provide a quick connection to the world. Nurmijärvi’s Ilvesvuori industrial area is located at a good Specialty Areas viewpoint next to E12 Helsinki-Tampere motorway. Ilvesvuori has readily Seinäjoki Region Business Service Center provides all the relevant zoned building ground for both smaller and larger companies. The information about the region´s business environment. Seinäjoki is Ilvesvuori industrial area is still expanding and more pieces of land with fastest growing city and offers attractive oppurtunies in the excellent locations will be zoned for example for space taking trade and HIGHWAY between Helsinki and Oulu cities in Western Finland. production, storage and logistics industry companies. More information on entrepreneurship opportunities in Nurmijärvi can be found at the See page 11 municipality’s web pages www.nurmijarvi.fi or www.ilvesvuori.fi. See page 52

1. Air Transport 5. Freight Insurance 9. Port Services 13. Shipping and Chartering 2. Customs Services 6. Information Logistics 10. Rail Transport 14. Warehousing 3. Dangerous Goods Management 7. Material Handling 11. Road Transport 15. Other Logistics Services & Consulting 4. Freight Forwarding 8. Parcel Pick-up and Delivery 12. Sea Transport Nordicum 2013 63 COMPANY BUSINESS CARDS

SKANSKA CDF OY SRV GROUP PLC

P.O. Box 114 Derby Business Park (Nauvontie 18) P.O. Box 555 FI-00101 Helsinki (Tarvonsalmenkatu 15) Finland FI-02601 Espoo www.skanska.fi Finland Building for life Tel. +358 20 145 5200 Contact Person [email protected] Jukka Pitkänen www.srv.fi Managing Director [email protected] Contact Person Phone +358 40 551 7274 Jouko Pöyhönen, Director, Project Development [email protected] Specialty Areas Commercial development Specialty Areas SRV is a leading Finnish real estate developer specialising in development, construction and commercialisation of retail and office premises, hotels, logistics and production objects, as well as residential property. SRV is aspired to improve quality of life through sustainable solutions for the built environment. See page 54 and front insert See page 18

TAMPERE REGION ECONOMIC TAPIOLA REAL ESTATE LTD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TREDEA LTD Tuulikuja 2 Juhlatalonkatu 5 FI-02010 Tapiola FI-33100 Tampere Finland Finland Phone +358 9 4531 Phone +358 50 505 2228 Fax +358 20 605 1047 Fax +358 3 5653 4630 [email protected] Contact Persons www.investtampere.fi [email protected] [email protected] Contact Person Raimo Vähämaa Specialty Areas Development Manager Tapiola Real Estate Ltd provides real estate investment and [email protected] management services. Half of the company is owned by Tapiola General Mutual Insurance Company and the other half by Tapiola Specialty Areas Mutual Life Assurance Company. Tapiola Real Estate Ltd offers Tredea Ltd maintains and strengthens the magnetism of the real estate investment, managing and counselling services as well Tampere Central Region and fosters prerequisites for successful as manages real estate investments and fixed assets. The company business. Tredea is a force that unites regional economic also engages in rental business, marketing, house management and development activities and a builder of practical cooperation. Join administration, maintenance, outsourcing and sales services. See page 42 the Tampere Business Region network – we’ll get you in! See page 38

NOTES: YIT CORPORATION PLC

P.O. Box 36 (Panuntie 11) FI-00621 Helsinki Finland Phone +358 20 433 111 www.yitgroup.com/transactions

Contact Persons Seppo Martikainen Timo Tanskanen Vice Presicent, Transactions Sales Director, Transactions [email protected] [email protected]

Specialty Areas YIT is a leading European service company in building systems, construction services and services for industry. We serve customers in 14 countries in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia and Central Europe. Our vision is to lead the way in creating and maintaining good living environments. We work for property investors as a supporting partner generating profitable investment

solutions. See page 40

1. Air Transport 4. Freight Forwarding 8. Parcel Pick-up and Delivery 12. Sea Transport 2. Customs Services 5. Freight Insurance 9. Port Services 13. Shipping and Chartering 3. Dangerous Goods Management 6. Information Logistics 10. Rail Transport 14. Warehousing 64 Nordicum 2013 7. Material Handling 11. Road Transport 15. Other Logistics Services & Consulting MIPIM® is a registered trademark of Reed MIDEM. All rights reserved. ??????? dedicated Pavilion Discover Turkey, MIPIM 2013Country ofHonour, through aspecial programme ofevents in a Experience ourbrand new Logistics Pavilion, theperfect hubfor industrial andlogistics opportunities Find thebestsolutionstoincrease thevalue ofyour assetatthe MIPIMInnovation property Forum thankstomoreGain industryexpertise than60conferences with200+seniorindustryspeakers Meet theright businesspartners among4,100investors and4,000developers The world’s market property for more than20years BUILDING TOMORROW’SBUILDING WORLD For more information, pleasevisit our website : MIPIM, THE EXCLUSIVE EVENTFORREALESTATE PROFESSIONALS

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