Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 12

Photo: City of Helsinki / Mika Lappalainen

the technology is becoming almost secondary, as long as you can get to the content.”
Indeed, in his work Worthington has
repeatedly pointed out that learning, working and leisure environments are merging.
He references Japan as a pioneer in this field;
a country where it is not uncustomary to find
skyscrapers stacked with residential, educational, business and retail functions – all under the same roof.
“Mori Building’s Roppongi Hills
Tower has restaurants and observation decks
at the top, with a world-class art gallery, university of corporate real estate and business
club, with corporate offices below,” Worthington offers an example.

Softer Edge
Closer to home, Worthington mentions
King’s Cross in London. Comprehensive
redevelopment was triggered by the availability of redundant railway lands and the
10 Nordicum

transformation of St. Pancras as the terminus for Eurostar. Putting together the 25 hectare development for 743,000 m2 for offices,
homes, retail and the University of the Arts
has taken 20 years before work can start.
Meanwhile at the edges of the comprehensive development site more incremental development has been progressing.
“At Regent’s Quarter, there is great
mix: new and old buildings, both big and
small, with a variety of functions and environments. In a sense, there is no point in going to the office anymore – the whole neighbourhood is the office.”
According to Worthington, similar examples can be found in Boston – where super universities such as Harvard and MIT
provide the intellectual spark – and, perhaps
more surprisingly, Dresden in Germany.
“In the centre of Dresden we find that
there is a completely new take on leisure and
entertainment. VW has a transparent factory
there where you can pick up your newly as-

sembled car – and watch as it goes through
the last stages of manufacture receiving last
personalising touches.”

Creative Finland
Then, of course, we get to one of Worthington’s favourite topics: Finland. Worthington
first visited the country in the early 70’s and
has been coming back ever since. He credits the Finns for their innovative ways in the
field of hi-tech and design, but also points
out that, in the past, the nation had to be very
creative in the field of politics as well: surviving the Cold War is no small feat for a
small Northern country stuck between East
and West.
Nowadays, the creative urges can be
directed towards living lab solutions or other
innovative fields. Worthington is