Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2010 | Page 19

Photo: Jyrki Komulainen Mange sud – Mediterranean warmth in southern Helsinki Designing airport excellence he World Design Capital 2012 is Helsinki and the entire metropolitan area is busy making plans for the big year. The Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport is one of the key pieces in the puzzle, since it is usually the first thing foreign visitors experience in Finland. “The airport serves as a gateway to Finland and we want to make sure that the experience is a memorable one,” says Samuli Haapasalo, President and CEO of Finavia. Finavia is a state-owned commercial enterprise offering airport and air navigation services. There are 25 airports in the network maintained by Finavia which will become a full-fledged company (still owned by the state) in the beginning of 2010. The crown jewel of the network, so to speak, is of course Helsinki-Vantaa which received new, state-of-the-art facilities in the September extension. Passengers can now enjoy a new restaurant world, a number of stores, as well as spacious waiting rooms. Haapasalo describes the current look – and the service offering – as both European and global. “The end result is quite pleasing also architecturally speaking,” Haapasalo comments. T hen you enter the restaurant Mange sud you are greeted with the glow of the fireplace and friendly staff. At Mange the abundant Mediterranean flavours, considerate service and relaxing atmosphere create an environment for pleasant time together. Both regular customers enjoying sea bass from daily menu and group of friends sharing a bowl of bouillabaisse delight in the Mange atmosphere. All the wines from the extensive wine list can also be ordered by the glass. The daily changing lunch enjoys special reputation; the cosy restaurant hall is usually filled with work teams searching for innovation and smaller groups enjoying the tasty food. b W More information: www.mangesud.fi Restaurant Mange sud Tehtaankatu 34 D FI-00150 Helsinki Finland Phone [phone] [email protected] www.mangesud.fi Human Touch According to Haapasalo, the feedback so far has been very positive. People find the airport easy to navigate, and there is plenty of space and services around. “Especially international visitors have remarked that the size of the airport is somehow ‘human’ and that is what makes it so appealing.” The concept for the “facelift” combines enjoyable experiences and fluent travelling. The new extension will have a total area of 39,000 square metres. The extended terminal will be able to handle annually 15 to 16 million passengers and 13.5 million items of baggage. “In December we will launch also Via Spa and Via Lounge which will further upgrade the service offering,” Haapasalo adds. b Nordicum 17