Tapiola

Tapiola is a vibrant urban centre characterised by art, culture, sports and services. The lively area directly linked to the Tapiola metro station is the largest unbroken pedestrian zone in Finland.

Tapiola is home to the Espoo Cultural Centre, and its extension will include a theatre auditorium that will mainly be used by Espoo Theatre.

The Exhibition Centre WeeGee has undergone changes as Museum Leikki, formerly known as the Finnish Toy Museum Hevosenkenkä, and the Finnish Museum of Horology and Jewellery Kruunu moved to new premises near WeeGee. Their old premises at WeeGee are now used as exhibition spaces.

The Tapiola sports park offers excellent sports facilities, and they will be further improved once the new football stadium is completed in 2029. The renovation of the Tapiola swimming pool starts in 2025 and is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Tapiola is currently home to some 9,700 people. The number of residents is expected to grow to 15,000 by 2050.

Tapiola has excellent public transport connections. Thanks to the metro and bus terminal, Tapiola is a busy public transport hub. The underground central parking facility serves both local residents and those visiting the area. It features 2,100 parking spaces, some of which are park-and-ride spaces.

There is a covered bicycle parking facility below Merituulentori, right next to the Ainoa shopping centre. It has room for 400 bicycles. The bicycle parking facility is directly connected to the metro station. The Helmakuja bicycle parking area, which is connected to the bus terminal on the Itätuulenkuja side, has spaces for 200 bicycles.

The Greater Tapiola area includes the districts of Tapiola, Haukilahti, Laajalahti, Mankkaa, Niittykumpu, Otaniemi, Pohjois-Tapiola and Westend.

Are you a property developer or an investor? Read more about the opportunities in Tapiola.

Development and construction in the area will continue in the coming years, but the historic garden city atmosphere will be preserved. The areas surrounding the Espoo Cultural Centre and the Kulttuuriaukio square will be further integrated with the Tapiola centre, but the Central Tower designed by architect Aarne Ervi and the pedestrian zone will be preserved.

The Cultural Centre and Kulttuuriaukio and their surroundings will undergo changes as the Cultural Centre is extended. Mainly built above ground, the extension will be located on the northern edge of Kulttuuriaukio and connected to the Cultural Centre through a gallery space. The extension will feature a theatre auditorium.

The so-called Marimekkotalo building, located at the southern edge of Kulttuuriaukio, will be replaced with an office building with commercial premises on the ground floor. The Kaupinkallio car park will be replaced with residential buildings.

The Tapiola Central Tower will be developed as an office building.

The detailed plan amendment concerning the Heikintori shopping centre will enable a versatile use of the property. The shopping centre’s parking garage will be replaced by apartments.

The Tapiola sports park offers excellent sports facilities, including sports halls, football fields and a multi-purpose hall. There is also a metro station in the sports park. The sports park is undergoing changes, and the plans include building a new football stadium. In addition, the city is planning to build other outdoor sports facilities and three football fields. There are also reservations for a multi-purpose hall, a racket sports hall, a hotel and housing.

In recent years, a large number of new homes have been built in Jousenpuisto next to the Urheilupuisto metro station. New services have also emerged in the area. The Jousenpuisto area is almost complete.

The aim is to develop Tapiola into an increasingly diverse area in the near future, bringing excellent commercial services and key public services together. The area will be made increasingly pleasant with high-quality pedestrian and cycling routes and new squares that will serve as meeting places. The existing high-quality public transport terminals and practical parking and maintenance arrangements provide a great starting point for future development.

The unique garden city atmosphere will be preserved even though Tapiola is undergoing changes. Apartment buildings dating back to the 1970s and 1980s are currently being demolished in the Tapiola centre and replaced by new ones.