Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2016 | Page 31

Photo: Cederqvist & Jäntti Architects Ltd.

gone strong growth in commercial and residential construction since 2001. The corporate world is keen on the area as well: hitech company Outotec built its head office
right here – which makes perfect sense, since
every fifth employee already lives either in
Matinkylä or neighbouring Olari. There are
still free plots available that are suitable for
building office facilities within walking distance of the metro station.
“Matinkylä is important in the sense
that it provides a solid foundation for all
sorts of activities. The area has a strong
profile and it’s playing to its strengths, as
it keeps on expanding,” assesses Deputy
Mayor Olli Isotalo.
A big part of the City’s plans is Länsiväylä (Main Road 51) which serves as an
entry and exit artery in the Finnish metropolitan area. In fact, one of motivational factors
behind the decision to build the metro was
to ease the rush hour traffic on the motorway – with the advent of the metro, a good
chunk of the office-bound traffic will go
underground.
In the future, Länsiväylä could also be
covered by a deck at Matinkylä to enable
more cohesive building and smoother services. Similar deck is in the cards for Leppävaara, as well. According to Markus Saari,
deck construction would make the whole
package more compact:
“The deck would give us ways to
renew the look of the area, probably including some green construction as well as residential buildings,” he says.

Finnoo Gets Going

The Last Shore

Beyond Matinkylä, there is the seaside
neighbourhood of Finnoo. From the Espoo’s
point of view, Finnoo is very special, since
it is the last remaining significant seaside
area that is open for development. With outstanding connections and excellent location,
expectations for Finnoo are high. Residential and mixed-use developments will be
available for mid to large-scale developers
and investors who value involvement in sustainable development.
According to Mayor Jukka Mäkelä,
the new Finnoo community will become a
“sustainable, green maritime city of international standards” for all Espoo inhabitants. The City is also most eager to promote pedestrian and bicycle traffic, as well
as energy efficiency and carbon neutral practices. Furthermore, the City is looking into a
LEED or BREEAM certification for the area
to make sure that no stone is left unturned
in this quest for a green city.
Project Director Kimmo Leivo is in
charge of raising a community which could,
ultimately, accommodate as many as 17,000
residents. The new metro station will be
located in the area of the current water treatment plant and there are plans to build a
high-rise centre by the metro station: the
highest of these towers could reach 30 storeys, offering fantastic views.
“Finnoo could feature as many as
10,000 apartments by 2040,” Leivo says,
adding that most of the residential buildings would be ready by 2030.

The new-and-improved Finnoo is also looking to fully utilise its access to the sea in the
south. Presently, there is already an active
boat harbour – while accommodating 1,100
boats, it is the largest of its kind in the metropolitan area – and the harbour concept will
be fine-tuned, as well.
The City is zoning a marina-type housing arrangement here, which means a highquality, vibrant area, with a fly-bridge cruise
through channel surrounded by boardwalks
with restaurants and cafés. There will even
be an artificial island with condominiums.
“We really want to make the Marina
area into something which hasn’t been seen
in Finland ever before,” Leivo says, adding
that there’s a lot of purchasing power in the
neighbourhood, which should go a long way
in realising this “super shoreline”.

Taking Charge
Talking about the entire metro project, Olli
Isotalo observes that the massive overtaking
has hit the halfway mark:
“We have five years behind us, and
five in front of us, so in a way it’s a good
time take stock of what we have accomplished so far,” Isotalo says, confident that
the autumn launch of the metro will make
Espoo mobile like never before.
“We are solidifying the city structure
and boosting connectivity at the same time
– and will continue to do this for a long time
to come,” he promises. O
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