Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2014 | Page 30

Photos: Verstas Architects

According to the jury, this scheme
most successfully solved the challenges and
conflicting demands of the competition. The
jury described Väre as a strong and convincing entry, which has been developed positively and has managed to answer most of
the queries posed by the jury after the results from the first phase of the competition.

Tribute to the Master
The layout offers its own structural DNA
matrix as the organising principle for the
new buildings; it forms this pattern based on
two of the principal coordinates taken from
the nearby old main building of the former
Helsinki University of Technology and the
main library, which were designed by legendary Alvar Aalto himself.
According to the jury, the winner’s
approach is fresh: the simple basic module
produces a convincing variety of spatial arrangements, and it is adaptable and flexible
but with a clear and distinct architectural
character. The spatial concept has also found
a fitting form, in which users move from the
general public areas upwards towards more
private and intimate places or from interdisciplinary to more specialised activities, a
mode of operation completely in tune with
the expressed aims of the university.
President Tuula Teeri from Aalto University comments that Aalto, as a new university, wants to pay respect to the originality of all the founding schools as it sets
out to build the central campus in Otaniemi.
“The winning entry reflects well our
shared values and respects the existing environment, while it also has a clear vision
of what the future university will look like,”
says Teeri. The new building and its surroundings are examined as part of the university’s broader campus programme, with
a goal to strengthen the operational preconditions for research, artistic activity and
teaching.

Beyond Campus
As the heart of Otaniemi is re-energised,
there is action elsewhere, too – for example, residential construction will be kicked
off in southern Otaniemi, says Olavi Louko,
Deputy Mayor for the City of Espoo.
“The development of Otaniemi is just
getting started,” says Louko. “The introduction of metro to the area will provide many
opportunities here also.”
There is also a great platform to build
on: at present, Otaniemi is the biggest hitech hub in Northern Europe with its 32,000
people and 800 companies – meaning, for
example, that students don’t have to look
very far for jobs. In fact, more and more of
them are starting their own companies while
still in school.
Otaniemi creates between 40 to 70 new
start-ups every year, pumping new blood in28 Nordicum

Väre – a winner of the open
international architectural
design competion Campu