— Central Campus of Aalto University — Competition
With our design we aimed to create a hub for business, technology and art to come together and exchange ideas and thoughts in order to enhance the synergy between those branches.
We created a central space for the Ottaniemi neighborhood, a focal point not only for the Aalto University Campus but also for the whole district.
The urban atmosphere was kept in scale with the original Aalto masterplan and its surrounding buildings. The ‘hard’ square acts as a counterpart to the ‘soft’ square and provides a sensation of gatherings,
meetings, activities and relaxation.
Functional Idea — Communication
52 000 sq.m.
-Using local/regional construction materials (local
wood and Finnish granite cladding)
- Using reclaimed wood / stone cladding
- Waste collection with recycling
The main square guarantees a proper visualization of the University’s Main Building designed by Alvar Aalto and the new School of Art, Design and Architecture and also provides an entrance area to the campus for the incomers arriving by metro and cars. All the functions of the newly added buildings orrespond and connect to the existing functions, the commercial alley was designed opposite the shopping - pavilion at the east of the plot, the Lumen center connects to the Department of Information and Computer Science.
The design department of the new school is easily accessible by the Department of Wood Research and Mechanical Engineering laboratory. Our design provides lots of covered passages in order to enhance communication during the winter time as well.
The designed building consists of a podium structuren that formulates the sides of a square and incorporates the common, open to public functions such a learning center, exhibition area, a campus information point, a canteen and a main school loop that overhangs and centers all the school departments.
Interior — Path
6 floors
- Green roofs – rainwater and temperature bufferip>
- Rainwater harvesting for watering plants
- Graywater reuse for flushing toilets
- Water-efficient bathroom faucets
A communication and activities ‘path’ strolls through all the departments and ascends from the main entrance hall to the top level with a cafe from which to view Aalto and descends back to the sculpture courtyard. It organizes the departments and provides a wide range of possibilities for encounters, informal meetings, discussions and integration of all building users and its visitors.
The ‘path’ as a communication route has been designed in a way that exhibits the best aspects of the building and its surroundings. Also steps interlocking with sitting podiums, ramps, and a travolator provide many diversified sensations while moving around.
At every level where the path intersects open spaces such as mini-squares are provided. They are surrounded with generic use functions and with common access while departments’ specialized spaces are located a bit to the side in order to guarantee restricted access.
