News
Two winners in the planning competition for the futuristic town of Henna
8 June 2010
72 qualified entries were submitted by the closing date to "The Innovative Town Concept for the Future" ideas competition arranged by SRV Group in co-operation with the City of Orimattila. The competition was open to all EU citizens. The competition task was to come up with an idea for and plan an innovative and eco-efficient futuristic urban unit for 20 000 residents and to apply these plans to the Henna area in Orimattila. The Regional Council of Päijät-Häme participated in the financing of the competition.
Two first prizes were awarded in the competition. The first shared prize was awarded to the entry"2 km²" whose authors are Juho Rajaniemi, D.Sc. (Tech.), Architect SAFA, from Arkkitehti Oy Rajaniemi, and architect Jouko Kunnas, from Liidea Oy, with assistants Tuomo Vesajoki, M.Sc. (Tech.), traffic specialist, from Liidea Oy and AnneMo Kaitfors, Construction Engineer, from Arkkitehti Oy Rajaniemi.
The second shared first prize was awarded to the entry " Neljän sukupolven kaupunki" (Town for four generations), by authors Arkkitehtitoimisto AJAK, architects Adalbert Aapola and Jarkko Kettunen with assistants Henna Aapola, Ilpo Aapola, Jouko Kettunen and Pekka Rantamoijanen.
The third prize was awarded to the entry "Loikka", made by an extensive team of WSP Finland Oy. The entries "Ø" by Arkkitehdit Anttila & Rusanen Oy and " Symbiosis" by the French Microcities Architects were also purchased. Honorary mentions were awarded to Spanish and Danish entries as well as to the entry by the Finnish ERAT Arkkitehdit
Distinct solutions set up for further development
The winning solutions are distinct from each other. The panel jury considered that a new town for 20,000 residents should not be implemented by using only one idea, but in a town of this size there should be different and recognisable areas. By applying the two chosen, different type entries it is possible to create a town with recognisable urban centre and supplementary, distinctive residential areas.
The winning entry "2 km²" is based on the principle that a city of this size should be entirely located within walking distance of the station. The city shape draws inspiration from medieval cities, effectively conveying an urban ambiance. The rather large block size is economical, allowing a range of building solutions. This entry's eco-efficiency merits lie mainly in its promotion of light traffic and public transport. Its urban structure strongly favours pedestrian traffic, while public transport can be used with ease to travel further afield.
The other winner "Neljän sukupolven kaupunki" presents a rather spread out city based on a highly cellular structure. The size and shape of the cells are freely modified according to the terrain, as are their internal structure and density. Each green area between the cells has different characteristics. Inside the main ring road, construction is denser, concentrating the urban structure near services and the railway station. The cellular structure is also economical with regard to development in stages.
The Henna area is located by the Helsinki-Lahti direct railway line and the motorway, around 20 km south of Lahti. The City of Orimattila and SRV Group entered into a cooperation agreement in 2007 concerning the Henna development. The Henna development stems from the direct railway line and its feeder lines to Henna. A train station for passenger traffic can be built on the feeder lines for local trains. The completion of the area is estimated to take 15 to 20 years.
Further information:
Project development manager Tuomas Lindfors, SRV, tel. +358 40 590 3917
Technical manager Raimo Ikäheimonen, City of Orimattila, tel. +358 40 769 6022
Planning engineer Pirkko-Leena Jakonen, City of Orimattila, tel. +358 40 5155 183
Plenty of interest in Ideas and Concepts Competition InTo
19 April 2010
76 entries were submitted by the closing date to the ideas and concepts competition arranged by SRV Group in co-operation with Orimattila town. The competition generated also international interest. The results will be published in early June.
The Innovative Town Concept for the Future (InTo) was an open ideas and concepts competition. Competitors were invited to present their innovative ideas on the construction of a future urban unit, in written and visual format.
The competition is part of the Research Project SRV InTo, which SRV launched at the beginning of April 2009. The objective of this project is to create a brand new town concept. From the outset, the town concept has catered for the special needs of the urban unit's inhabitants and users, as well as those of sustainable development.
The development platform and a pilot scheme for the town concept will involve an area within Orimattila of approximately seven square kilometres, called Henna. This area is situated 20 km to the south of Lahti, along the railway line and motorway. The new urban unit to be built in Henna will include designated areas for residents, workplaces and services. The direct rail line which was completed in 2006 and its shunting tracks in Henna formed the basis for the development of Henna. It is possible to build a passenger station there and add industrial branch lines. The construction of the first phase is planned to begin in 2011. It is estimated that the area will take 15 to 20 years to complete.
The competitors' task was to create and plan an innovative and communal urban unit of the future for 20,000 inhabitants. Sustainable development and eco-efficient area development had to be considered in the planning.
The competitors' second task was to apply the planned urban unit solutions to the Henna area of Orimattila. The competition area at Henna is restricted to the planned central and residential areas surrounding the railway station.
The Research Project is financed by SRV as well as Orimattila Town and TEKES (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation). It is being developed in partnership with VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland).
"We are extremely pleased with the interest generated by the competition. The jury will now study the submitted entries. I trust that, as a result, we will get interesting and feasible solutions for future urban construction", says Mr. Jouko Pöyhönen Project Development Director of SRV.
Further information: Jouko Pöyhönen, director, project development, SRV, tel. + 358 405282870