Leppävaara idea competition

The entries were published on the competition website in both phases, and the public had an opportunity to comment on them. The entries refined during the second phase are still available online(external link, opens in a new window), but commenting ended on 15 February 2024. 3D models have also been made of the proposals(external link, opens in a new window).

During both phases, the entries were presented at public events, in which people could also participate online. All feedback received through the website and at the public events was submitted to the jury.

The jury selected the five best and most viable entries for the second phase of the competition. During the second phase, these entries were further refined into feasible plans.

The refined entries were presented at a public event on Thursday 18 January 2024.

The competition was organised in cooperation with the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA). The competition programme can be downloaded on the competition’s website(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish).

A town plan amendment for the Leppävaara city centre was prepared in 2014–2021, but the changes were rejected for the area north of the railway tracks. The town plan amendment for the area south of the tracks is progressing in accordance with the original plan proposal: Shopping centre Sello is planning to add on top of the existing bus terminal an extension including business and service premises and a separate car park along the tracks. 

The competitors were asked to provide a solution for the northern side of the railway tracks that, together with the Sello shopping centre extension, forms a functionally integrated urban centre and enables the construction of a high-quality transport terminal and easy access across the tracks and to the station platforms, bus terminal, Viaporintori and light rail stops.

The competition area covers most of the Northern Leppävaara centre, some of Gransinmäki and the immediate surroundings of the Leppävaara station. 

In the north, the area is bordered by Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Leppävaara Sports Park and Konstaapelinkatu. In the south, it ends at the planned expansion of the Sello shopping centre. To the east, the area is bordered by Ring I and to the west by a street called Gransinmäki. 

The competition area currently holds an ST1 service station, the temporary parking area of the Läkkisepänaukio square, and the two-storey commercial building owned by Sponda Oy, which is located between Leppävaaranraitti and Läkkisepänaukio. The competition area also includes Leppävaaranraitti, which ends at Konstaapelinkatu, and the health centre to the east of Leppävaaranraitti.  

The mainly unbuilt western end of the competition area holds the site of the Metropolia University of Applies Sciences, which suffered severe structural damage and was demolished in 2020, the site of a unbuilt public building, the Leppävaara fire station and the Leppävaara volunteer fire department.  

In the north-western part of the competition area contains Nupukivenkallio Park, which has fortifications from the First World War. The protected area is included in the competition area in terms of possible underground parking facilities, but there will be no overground construction. 

Furthermore, three separate, privately-owned study areas are also related to the competition area. The study areas are an essential part of the development of the city centre and thus, competition participants are expected to present in the first phase of the competition an overall vision that also covers the presented study areas.  

The total size of the planning area is approximately 24 hectares, including the actual competition area, 16 hectares, study areas, four hectares, and the protected bedrock area, four hectares. 

Alongside the idea competition, the City of Espoo is looking for implementors to the competition area through a planning reservation application process. The application process was launched simultaneously with the idea competition. The outcome of the idea competition will be utilised as a selection criterion: One or several planning reservations will be negotiated together with the construction or property sector operators representing the workgroup(s) who won the idea competition. Further information on the planning reservation application process is available on the City of Espoo Plot Unit website (in Finnish). 

• Competition document publication 31 October 2022  
• Competition seminar 10 November 2022.
• Submission of the first round of questions for the first competition phase 18 November 2022  
• Responses to the first round of questions for the first competition phase 30 November 2022  
• Submission of the second round of questions for the first competition phase 5 January 2023  
• Responses to the second round of questions for the first competition phase 18 January 2023  
• Submission of first phase competition entries 17 February 2023  
• Publication of first phase competition entries 15 March 2023. We presented the entries at a public event 29 March.
• The entries selected for the second phase of the competition were announced in June 2023.
• The entries refined during the second phase of the competition are available online.(external link, opens in a new window) Commenting ended on 15 February 2024. The entries were also presented at a public event on 18 January 2024. All feedback received through the website and at the public event was submitted to the jury.
• The competition winner was announced in April 2024. The winning entry is Walk Around by the construction company YIT, architecture company Arco, and engineering and consultancy company Ramboll.