Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2013 | Page 45

Photo: Studio Daniel Libeskind for NCC

city’s growth and construction needs. New
residential areas must be built for the newcomers, and it makes sense to build new areas that are close to existing public and commercial services whenever possible.
In 2013, Tampere is preparing to kickstart significant projects to energise the city.
The vitality of the downtown area is a key
target and the construction of Ranta-Tampella and the linking Rantaväylä tunnel bring
something extra to the equation.
“We will have ambitious waterfront
residential construction right in the centre
and 3,500 residents will make their homes
here, right next to the commercial services
of the downtown,” Laiho says.
Laiho describes the role of the Rantaväylä tunnel as crucial, explaining that it
will eliminate traffic bottlenecks and facilitate smoother downtown logistics. Underground parking is in the cards, too – and it
will be realised using a new concept which
is more safety and service oriented.
“With these changes, the urban environment is transformed, leaving more room
for pedestrians and bicyclists,” he says. A
light rail transportation system is also being
planned for the city centre.

Architectural Magic

Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Laiho notes that
Tampere – as the biggest inland city in Nordic countries – has a catchment area that is
different from, say, certain coastal capitals.
“Our catchment area forms a full
circle, where as Helsinki forms only half a
circle,” he compares.

Downtown Dynamo
Tampere is already building the future via
hefty investments in order to respond to the

The real show-stopper, however, is being
planned right next to the train station. In
fact, this piece of world-class real estate will
be raised above the tracks using spectacular
deck construction. The vision plan for the
project was made by the American “starchitect” Daniel Libeskind. The idea here is to
bring cohesion into a city structure divided
by tracks, creating in essence, a totally new
city district for Tampere. The development
is a co-operation between NCC Development, Tampere Central Arena Ltd and the
City of Tampere.
“This project is a great example that
you can go forward with high-profile architectural projects, even in downtown areas,”
Laiho says, adding that zoning plan is now
legitimate.
Laiho views hybrid construction to be
the key here: “For the deck towers, the bottom one or two floors are reserved for commercial use, and storeys 3–8 for office use.
On top of this, there will be some 10 storeys of residential use. This is an effective
mix,” he says.

Magnetic Masterpiece
There will be 60,000 square metres of construction on top of the railroad – and then the
arena at almost 50,000 sqm, with seats for
about 11,000 spectators. If everything goes
well, the first phase of the project could be
ready by 2015 and the whole area would be
running by 2020.

According to the plans, most of the arena’s facilities are used and open for public
also outside the time of events. In addition
to ice hockey games, the arena is a venue
for a wide variety of events, for example
world-class concerts.
“The project will solidify the urban
structure a great deal and serve as a major
attraction all on its own.” Laiho is al ͼ