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​​LOCATION

Helsinki, Finland


DATE

2019


SIZE

16.8 ha


TYPE

Invited competition

STATUS

Honorable mention

CLIENT

City of Helsinki

PROJECT TEAM

Patrick Verhoeven, Martin Arfalk, Konstantin Miroshnychenko, Emilia Puotinen, Andrei Deacu, Shan Jiang,

Alessandro Macaluso, Suzete Timba, Emeline Lex

Weaving Junatie

Stitching together a disconnected urban space in central Helsinki

Junatie road is one of the most important traffic areas in Helsinki today, linking some of Finland's busiest urban districts. From the very beginning, Junatie’s main achievement has been uniting disconnected territories. The expansion of infrastructural links aimed at greater integration of Helsinki Metropolitan Area has, however had the opposite effect on the immediate context. Surrounding neighbourhoods gradually became disconnected, with focus shifting towards a car-centric environment establishing major barriers for pedestrians and compromising the quality of the public space.

 

Mandaworks together with WSP Finland propose to reverse this focus, and re-integrate detached contexts into a coherent urban landscape. By redesigning East-West traffic systems and restoring lost ties between North and South, we create a ‘weaving’ system of different links. The result is an interconnected, diverse and social ‘carpet’ referencing traditional Finnish tapestry technique: Junatien Ryijy.

 

The East-West connectivity is improved by redesigning the transit systems to contain a dedicated sustainable public transit corridor, the Baana cycle structure, pedestrian and slow traffic zones and designated car lanes. To reconnect the northern and southern green and urban structures, new strong connections are made at strategic spots - the Weave nodes, adding unique new meeting spaces within Junatie. A central sunken amphitheatre creates a playful and attractive new place at the center of the area. Through a conscious design attitude, a continuous weave pattern appears throughout the entire area, articulated by paving, program, lighting, street furniture, planting and storm water elements.

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Current situation: Junatie as a fairway environment

By reorganising traffic…

… space is freed for vibrant urban life!

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Meeting points between the surrounding areas are strengthened…

…and become ties in a public carpet influenced by its surrounding.

Weaving the Ryijy of Junatie!

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Illustration plan

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Active mobility node for Junatie

The streamlining of traffic systems results in continuous and comfortable spaces connected to the existing buildings along Junatie.

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Weaving Junatie

A ‘weaving’ system of different links, establishing an interconnected, diverse and social ‘carpet’: Junatie’s Ryijy.

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Space for people

When parallel car streets are removed, space is freed for pedestrian, bicyclists and urban life.

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New stage of Junatie

The sunken amphitheatre becomes connecting link between the festival area in south and culture hub in north.

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Sheltered urban living room

The bridge infrastructure enables the creation of a new covered vibrant urban living room.

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The Weave Node

The Weave Node at the Suvilahti Festival area is the exception that makes the weave pattern ‘ripple’, and creates a strong connection to the Teurastamo Festival area in the north. The circular weave node is strengthened by a new iconic building, the Generaattori, a new creative hub in the heart of the Junatie area.

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