From an exclusive icon to an inclusive icon, offering the most valuable spaces of the building for public use.
From a classic city hall with public and private functions separated to a hybrid municipal building, promoting interaction and participation between its user groups.
for all of Espoo
Espoo House is a hybrid municipal building that enhances interaction and social encounters between decision-makers, city employees and residents.
Espoo House’s ground floor is an open and flexible extension of the public outdoor spaces. The public spaces extend inward and then vertically within the building within the central atrium, and up to the top-most level, providing flexible and diverse meeting places for all. The atrium also allows natural light to fill the central parts of the building.
A public route from the ground floor to the top of the building offers flexible places to work, relax, and hangout.
construction
Espoo House will be built primarily of timber. The wooden structure offers flexibility for different layouts on each floor, enabling easy adaptation to the building’s evolving needs over time - extending the building’s life cycle and usability.
Espoo House will be constructed primarily of wood; columns and beams of mass timber, slabs of CLT and a wooden clad façade, continuing Finland’s rich tradition of building in wood. While minimizing the emission of CO₂ compared to traditional concrete constructions, wood will also be visible throughout the building and create a warm atmosphere and quality. Unlike historical, large-scale and formal city halls, we envision a human, social and tactile house for the people, and an urban living room for community building.
Dan Stubbergaard, founder and architect, Cobe
A hybrid structural system is made of concrete, wood and a glulam structure, aiming to reduce the construction’s CO₂ footprint by 20% compared to a traditional concrete structure.
The load-bearing structure consists of mass timber with a span of 6x6 meters, minimizing the material use for the building and providing the best possible room height.
The parking basement is developed using the same column grid as the building above, which will enable a much thinner concrete build-up compared to a traditional transfer deck solution.
The load-bearing structure consists of mass timber with a span of 6x6 meters. The dimensions are chosen to minimize the material use for the building, since it reduces the use of decks as well as provide a generous room height.
The winter garden features plants and greenery at the top floor - accessible to all.
to multi-purpose hall
The multi-purpose hall as a concert and performance hall.
The top floor houses a public multi-purpose hall and winter garden, providing an ideal setting for large public events with expansive views over the city and surrounding landscapes.
The multi-purpose hall is flexible and can be used for a variety of large events - both public and private.
The multi-purpose hall as a political forum.
The multi-purpose hall as an exhibition space.
The multi-purpose hall used for sports and leisure activities.
the city structure
Espoo House is a landmark in the new urban development of Espoo Center. An urban transformation of a generic and one-dimensional architectural landscape defined by cars to a unique and diverse neighborhood, increasing green urban spaces and community life.
